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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

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MEMORIAL 

OF THE 

HEIRS OF SILAS DEANE, 

FORMERLY 

POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL AGENT IN EUROrE ; AND 

ONE OF THE AMBASSADORS OF THE UNITED STATES 

IN FRANCE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 



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TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, 

The Memorial of Hoeatio Alden. of the City of Hartfoid, iji the State of 
Connecticut ; and of Philura Alden, his wife, late Piiilura Deane. 
. personal representatives and only heirs at law of Silas Deane, de- 
ceased : — 

Respectfully Smoweth : 

That in the year 1775, the Hon. Silas Deane, Esquire, was one of the 
delegates from the State of Connecticut to the Congress of the United 
States, and, as is well known, from the general history of the times, and 
as may be seen from the journals of that august and enlightened body, 
was one of the most influential, able and efficient members of that assem- 
bly ; and was, in the year 1775, solely and exclusively employed by the 
Marine Committee, with extensive powers and authority, to procure, by 
purchase or otherwise; and to equip and fit out a large naval force — all 
which will appear by the original letters and authority which accompany 
tliis memorial, and which conclusively establish the fact that Mr. Deano 
was the father of the revolutionary marine. 

That on the 19th of February, 1776 ''^the Committee of Secrecy ap- 
pointed by the Hon. Continental Congress," entered into a contract with 
John Alsop, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Robert Morris and Silas 
Deane, to purchase the produce of the then Colonies, to ship it to 
Europe, and to invest the proceeds of sale in sucli goods, wares and mer- 
chandise, as the said Committee of Secrecy should direct ; and to ship 
the same to America, for account of the said Committee of Secrecy ; — 
and it was stipulated in said contract, that the said John Alsop and part- 
ners, should be allowed Jive ycr cent, for purchasing and shipping said 
produce in this counirtj. And to such of said contractors as should go, 
personally, to Europe, to execute and superintend the business there, ex- 
clusive of the charges of selling the produce of the Colonies, for shipping 
the remittances, besides the duties (of exportation in Europe) tiierc 
should, also, be allowed a clear commission of Jive per cent, on the original 
costs of such remittances in Europe. A copy of which contract, procui'ed 
by your memorialists from the archives of the Department of State, ac- 
companies this memorial. 

It will be perceived, by the very terms of this contract, that it was in 
the contemplation of all tlie parties to tlic same, that owe of the contract- 
ors should, personally, superintend in Europe the execution of its pro- 
visions, so vitally important to the public interests. Tlie Hon. Silas 
Deane, one of the conti'actors, and who was also at the same time, a 
member of tlie Congress, and who, as may be seen by a reference to the 
numerous letters and other documents, which accompany this memorial, 
enjoyed, in a very high degree, the confidence and esteem both of the 
Congress and the Committee of Secrecy, was selected as the agent of 
the parties, to superintend the execution of the contract in Europe: and 
he, tiiereby, became solely entitled to " a clear commission of five per cent, 
on the original cost of all his remittances from Europe."' 



But the execution of the provisions of this contract ,-.is not ine onlv 
piirposc for which Mr. Ueane was sent to Europe. A more responsilile 
and honorable appointnieni awaited him. On the second of March 1776 
(two weeks only after the making of the conti-act before mentioned^ Mr 
Deane received a commission in the Avords following, viz. 

" Wc the undersigned, being the Committee of Congress for secret cor- 
respondence, do liereby certify A\hom it may concern, that the bearer, the 
Honorable Silas Deane, Esquire, one of the Delegates from the colony of 
Connecticut, is appointed by us to go into Fiance, there to transact such 
business, commercial andpolilical, as we have committed to his care, in be- 
half, and by anihorjiy of (he Congress of the thirteen United Colonies. In 
testnnony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals at Philadel- 
phia, the 2i\ of Marcli, 1776. 

B. FRANKLIN, [seal.1 

BENJ. HARllISON, [seal.] 
JOHN DICKINSON, I sea J 
JOHN JAY, [SEAL. 

ROBERT MORRIS, [seal.] 

The original commission accompanies this memorial. It ought here 
to be remarked, that ''the Committee of Secrecy," by whom the contract 
before mentioncd'was concluded, and " the Committee for Secret Corre- 
spondence,'' by whom Mr. Deane was appointed and commissioned Com- 
mercial and Political Agent of the United Colonies in France, were dis- 
tinct and separate bodies, each having a distinct and sejjarate sphere of 
action. Tlie *' Committee of Secrecy" w^as instituted September 18, 
1775, and empowered to ])urchase arms and military stores, and to ex- 
port the products of the country to meet the charges of such purchases 
abroad. The "Committee for Secret Correspondence" was appointed 
on the 29th November, 1775, and was instituted, among other things, 
for the purpose of corresponding with the friends of the Colonies ^in 
Great Britain and other parts of the w orld, ivith authority to appoint 
such agents as it might find necessary, or think proper to send abroad on 
this service ; and provision was made for the expense and compensation 
of such agents. 

On the 3d March, 1776, the day succeeding Mr. Deane's appointment 
as Commercial and Political Agent in France, he was furnished with 
written instructions by tlie Committee for Secret Correspondence. These 
instructions conferred upon him great and exclusive powers to negociate 
with tlie French Government, and authorized him to operate, not only in 
France, but in Holland and Great Britain ; and further, to procure, in 
addition to the supplies provided for in the contract between Messrs. 
Alsop and others and the Committee of Secrecy, clothing, arms, and 
military accoutrements and munitions of war suHicient for an army of 
twenty-five thousand men, as also one hundred field jjieces. These in- 
structions accompany this memorial, and are copied from vol. I of Sparks's 
Diplomatic Corres])()ndence, page 5. 

In the fulfilment of this contract, and in pursuance of his appointment 
and instructions as Commercial and Political Agent in Europe, Mr. 
Deane sailed from Philadelphia, in March, 1776, in a brig bound to Bor- 
deaux ; and such was tlie situation of the money alfairs of the country 



at tliat time, that the vessel went out in hallast for tlic want of means to 
purchase a cargo. An accident at sea compelled her to return to port, 
and Mr. Deauc re-emharked in a small sloop bound for Bermuda, and 
arrived in France in June, 1776. Upon his arrival in France, Mr. Deane 
found himself almost wholly unprovided with funds to meet his daily ex- 
penses, (whichjin consequence of his character, and his extensive and nml- 
tlfarious business, were necessarily great, and which must be met with 
cash,) and to execute the immense orders given him by the public: yet, 
with a zeal and a perseverance characteristic of the patriots of that day, 
and worthy of the great cause in wliich he was embarked, (and in ^^ liiciu 
your memorialists are sorry to say, he w as ultimately ruined and sacri- 
ficed,) he set himself about accomplishing the great and important objects 
of this mission, and did actually, unaided and alone, accomplish them to 
the fullest. 

Mr. Deane contracted for, and actually purchased and shipped to the 
United States, under his contract, and in pursuance of his commis- 
sion and instructions as Commercial and Political Agent, a vast 
amount of arms and military stores, which, with the expense of 
shipment, amounted to upwards of four million seven hundred and 
fifty thousand livres ; all which will fully appear by certified copies 
of the accounts which accompany this memorial. Upon wldch sum 
Mr. Deane claimed, and was, and liis heirs now are, unquestiona- 
hly entitled to, the "clear commission of five per cent," as stipula- 
ted in his contract of 17th February, 1776. Mr. Deane's successful 
though secret negotiations with tiie French Government, having opened 
the way to a public reception of public ministers from the United States, 
and independence having been declared on the 4th of July, 1776, Con- 
gress, on the 17th of September of that year, determined to propose "to 
enter into treaties with foreign nations," and on tlie same day agreed 
upon "the plan of a treaty to be proposed to his most Christian Majesty,'* 
together with the instructions to the commissioners or ambassadors to ho 
appointed to negotiate the same. — [See Secret Journal, to], 2, p. 6.] 

So entirely satisfactory had been the conduct of Mr. Deane, in the dis- 
charge of his confidential, complicated, important and delicate duties in 
Europe, thathc was, on the 26th September, 1776, chosen, by Congress, 
to be one of their ambassadors, in conjunction with Doctor Franklin and 
Mr. Jefferson, ta transact the business of the United States at the Court 
of Fi'ance. The latter gentleman, Mr. Jefferson declining the appoint- 
ment, Congress, on the 22d October, 1776, substituted Arthur Lee, Esq. 
(who was at that time in England,) in his place. On the 28th Septem- 
ber, 1776, Congress directed their ministers "to live in such style as 
they may find suitable to support the dignity of their public character,** 
without resti'iction as to amount ; and i)rovidcd for the payment of their 
expenses out of the public treasury. — [See Secret Journals of Congress,, 
vol. 2, p. S3.] Dr. Franklin and Arthur Lee, Esq. joined Mr. Deane 
at Paris, on the 22d December, 1776, and the joint commission com- 
menced the discharge of their duties on the 28tli of that month, when 
they had their first audience of the Count de Yergcnnes, the I'rimc Min- 
ister of France. — [Sec Diplomatic Correspondence, vol. 1, p. 250.] 

It was previous to this time that Mr. Deane had made his negotiations 
for the purchase and shipment of the arms and military stores which he 
was sent to Europe to procure: as, after Mr. Deane became and assumed 



6 



«ic rank and .station of a pn].li,< and arknowlod-od anil,a«5sador. Ik- did 
not consnlc- lumso f entitled to, nor did l.e clahn, a romm s ,, n, o 
any purchase. AH l,e asked, and all his heirs now as s T a iZ 
ancc of the stipulated commission, on his hargains and tr^nsac ions cn- 

lUsllmtrr Vl'f ■"'"•' "'' '"' '•" ^'— •--' -^1 Political A^e'nt of 
s countij. Ihc commissioiurs, with an ability and zeal which were 

eS'^bl^r;?^ ""'T "?'"' circumstances, accomplished the 

W . wffl. ? / •' ,^W^'^"^t'"ent, and succeeded in negotiating trea- 

7r« ^. T'"' r^V'^' ''"''^ ''Sned at Paris on the 6th of February, 
17/8. Mi.Deane's long residence at Paris, and his confidential and 
ofhcial intei-coursc v^ith the French Government, whilst acti".^ as the 
sole agen o the United States to that Governmen , and the n arked co - 
fidence which the French Ministry reposed in him, individualh, <^a c 

s'^'eS'llntl' "^ 'f'^'T^'l the negotiations : and youi mlmojial- 
ists bel eve that, from the oflicial and private letters of Mr. Deane, the 
originals of which have recently been discovered, it is capable of bein.^ 
demonstrated, that many of the great advantageswhich were conceded 
wlS "rtl " ?^f *--ties ^^ere the result^of the su;eS know dg 
wlueh Mr. Deane had previously acquired upon the subject, and of his 

France' 'fZTT ''^ ^ "'f 'f'^'T ''''' '^'^ ^ing ami Ministers of 
^^osTtion o Lr"V'f '"\",^''" f ^"^r memorialists, in making this 
supposition, to detract from the acknowledged merits of Mr. Deane's 

S^^^^^ in the re ation m which your memorialists have 

J f tn,l. • ' , ^ '"^^' f° *''•' '"^J^^*' "»'>^ for the legitimate purpose 
of rendering due praise to their ancestor, and of setting forth, in a fair 
light, the proper value of his services :-services which were nereVre 

c very form which the circumstances of the times left open to him'', „or 
to his heirs or representatives since his death "im, nor 

the^'^ecall o/ Mr%eanf :r^''' 'T' ^''^^^''^ ^^^'^'^ ^ ^-^«1"«<>» f^^' 
uic itcaii 01 Mr. JJeane, which was forwarded to him in n ir»H«., r ^i 

Committee on Foreign Affairs,-(the Committer b;"^^^^^^^^^^^ 

dence was, by a resolution of Congress of the 17th Anril A- Ii ^ i" 

into a Coinmittee of Foreign 4#'l.,)-daleS on tlti 4 h of ^DecS^^^ 

nlil ^;\«»«"t^«'""^ent or explanation on the part of the ComnSe; 

On the 6th of December, 1777, three weeks after the order beSc men 

asfotw^:!?"" P^"^' ^1"^^"^»^^^ -"^ «-^^- orde^'whlch^'r; 

*' Whereas, it is of the greatest importance that Congress should at 
thiscri ical junc ure, be well informed of the state of affSi^s in Eu 1 
And whereas. Congress have resolved, that the Hon. S^as De"n? L 

''Ordered, That the Committee of Foreign Affairs write to the Hon 
Silas Deane, and direct him to embrace the first opportunity treh?;' 



This prcanihlc aiul order were traiisniitte<l to Mr. Deane, in a letter 
from the Committee on Foreign AtTairs. dated on the day ot tlie jjassing 
thereof. Of whidi letter the following is a copy : 

" YoiiK, Sth Dec. 1777. 
*' Siii: By accident, I find myself called upon singly, to execute the duly 
of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, in communicating to you an order 
of Congress, of this day, respecting your return to America. 

*' The order stands in need of no comment from the committee to elu- 
cidate it ; and, heing drawn up in terms comidimeutary to your ahilities, 
of serving these United States, upon your arrival here, I take pleasure 
in conveying it ; heing, sir, 

" Your very humhlc servant, 

" James Lovell.'* 

This last order and lettef reached Mr. Deane, in Paris, on the 4th of 
March, 1778^ — the order of the 17th Novwiiher, with the letter of the 
committee of the 4th Decemher enclosing it, were never received hy Mr. 
Deane, as is stated in his letter to the President of Congress, of the 28th 
of July, 1778. See DijUoniatic Correspondence, vol. i. page 122. 

In the resolution of Congress of the 8th December, 1777, and in the 
letter of the committee which accompanied it, the only motive disclosed for 
the order to Mr. Deane to return to America, w as, " that Congress should, 
at that critical juncture, be well informed of the state of affairs in 
Europe;" and, in the letter of the committee, Mr. Deane was told that its 
terms were " complimentarTj to his abilities," as it was evidently implied 
that he was most competent to inform Congress well of the state of af- 
fairs in Europe. Mr. Deane, therefore, had no occasion to look upon the 
order to return to America as a disapprobation of his conduct : nor did - 
he so look upon it : much less to view it in the light of a recall, to ac- 
count for his conduct, in the management of the pecuniary transactions 
committed to his care. The order stated, that he was wanted to disclose 
the state of affairs generally in Europe — meaning, of course, political af- 
fairs ; not to settle an account of moneys received and disbursed. 

This comment upon the terms of Mr. Deane's recall is made, and is 
rendered necessary, because all his subsequent misfortunes grew out of 
the fact that he obeyed it with promptitude, and did not remain in France 
and settle his accounts, and bring the settlement with him to America. 
After the treaties of Feb. 6. 1778, were concluded, Mr Deane, with a de- 
votion to the cause of his country which had no limits, set himself, indi- 
vidually, and in his individual character, without the interference of his 
able and patriotic colleagues, to obtain for his country, without further 
delay, the assistance of a powerful French fleet. He succeeded ; and the 
licet of Admiral D'Estaing was despatched to America. That tiiis great 
assistance was effected solely by Mr. Deane, is admitted by the other 
members of the commission, as may be seen in many of their public letters 
published in the Diplomatic Correspondence. 

The treaties with France had been signed : yet it was agreed they w ere 
still to be kept secret, and were not to be made public in Europe, until 
intelligence should be received of their arrival and jjublication in Ame- 
rica. France subsequently changed this plan, and announced to the 



8 

Court ol J^imdon, ilic < oiulusioii ol" llic treaties — this rendered it abso- 
lutely necessary, with all })()ssil)le secrecy and expedition, to desj)atcli to 
America the B'rench licet at Toulon, under the command of the Count 
D'Kstaina;. The Count de Vergcnnes, and Doct. Franklin, advised Mr. 
Deanenot to disclose his recall, and his intention to return, until the sail- 
ing of the licet, in which it had been agreed that he should return to 
America. 

Most of the contracts which had been entered into by Mr. Deane, on 
behalf of the United States, while he was sole agent in France, were, at 
the time of his receiving his recall, completed ; and the monies advanced 
on most of tliem, yet the accounts of the contractors had not been finally 
closed and settled : it was therefore impossible for Mr. Deane, if he com- 
plied witli the order of Coiigress " to embrace the Jirst opjwrtunity to 
return to America," and of the urgent request of the Prime Minister of 
France, and of Doct. Fi-anklin, to go out i)i the Frencli fleet, which sailed 
from Toulon on the 10th of April, 1778, to close the vast commercial 
and pecuniary concerns in which he had been engaged, and to carry out 
with him the settlements and vouchers ; or even to close his private ac- 
counts ; as it was only three weeks from the day he received his recall, 
to the day it became necessary to set out from Paris for Toulon. Any 
attempt to close his accounts would have disclosed his intended return, 
and defeated the secrecy which was enjoined in Paris upon that return, 
as well as have been exceedingly injurious to the credit of his country. 

Though nothing appeared in the order of recall, nor in any of the let- 
ters of the committees in America, wiiich intimated the least dissatisfac- 
tion with the conduct of Mr. Deane, or any suspicion of his faithful man- 
agement of the public money, yet he was extremely desirous to settle and 
close all the transactions in which he had had any concern for the public, 
before he left Europe ; but he finally submitted to the advice of the 
Count dc Vergennes and Doct. Franklin, and departed from France in 
the French fleet, taking with him a transcript of the account of the United 
States' Banker in France, which gave the names of the persons to whom 
the public money had been paid. But, with a prudent forecast, to meet, 
as best he might, what might take place, and what did actually take 
place, he brought out with him the most honorable testimonials from the 
Prime Minister of the King of France, and from Doct. Franklin, of his 
zeal and integrity in the service of his country. Copies of these most 
honorable testimonials to the ''zeal, activity and intelligence" of Mr. 
Deane, — of the esteem in which he was held, personally, by the French 
King and his Minister, and the testimony of Doct. Franklin, of his 
^^faithfnl-' service, and <' ability as a minister," and of his " great and 
important services to his country," are filed among the papers which ac- 
company this memorial, and will be found also in the Diplomatic Corre- 
spondence, vol. 1, page 118, 119, 120. 

Such was the promptitude of Mr. Deane in obeying the orders of Con- 
gress, that immediately on his arrival on the coast of America, and be- 
fore he had landed, on the 10th July, 1778, he reported himself to Con- 
gress from on board the French Admiral's ship, just then arrived in the 
Delaware bay. On the 13th of the same month, he rendered himself 
personally to Congress in Philadeljdiia. 

It soon became apparent to Mr. Deane that, owing to causes of which 



he was wholly ignorant, he was not in favor with Congress, for, although 
he had heen sent for, expressly, to give information in person, of the state 
of affairs in Europe, and although he had, almost weekly, urged Congress 
in writing, to appoint a time in which he might discharge the duties 
which he had been sent for to perform, yet it was upwards of six weeks 
before any notice was taken of his attendance — See Diplomatic Corre- 
spondence^ Mr. Deane's letter of 22d Sept. 1778, page 124. 

It was no longer to be concealed, that he was treated with neglect, for, 
although he unceasingly ui'ged upon Congress, finally, to hear or to dis- 
charge him, that he might return to France, where the public and his private 
affairs were suffering from his long absence, and from which he did not 
calculate to be absent over three or four months, he did not obtain a 
second audience until late in December 1778, when he laid before Con- 
gress, on the 21st of that month, in writing, a narrative of all his trans- 
actions from tlie time of leaving America, in their service, until his re- 
call and return. This w^ritten narrative your memorialists humbly con- 
ceive, would now be of vast consequence in elucidating the extensive and 
complicated accounts of Mr. Deane ; but, they learn, upon application at 
tiie Department of State, that it is not there to be found ; nor do the offi- 
cers of the department know what has become of it ; or how, or when it 
has disappeared ; they have no knowledge whatsoever of such a paper. 
A mutilated copy is in the possession of your memorialists, discovered 
within the present year by your memorialists, with other papers of Mr. 
Deane. 

Mr. Deane continued to attend in the city of Philadelphia, awaiting 
the orders of Congress, according to the terms of his recall, to give in- 
Jormation of the state of affairs in Europe, until the 6tli of August, 1779, 
a peiiod of about I S njonths constant attendance in Philadelphia, during 
the whole of which, he obtained but two audiences. That Mr. Deane 
was most anxiously desirous to impart free, perfect, and full information, 
in relation to all his transactions, and that he earnestly courted the strict- 
est investigation of his conduct, which had been complained of to Con- 
gress by public agents abroad, is abundantly apparent from the great 
number of letters (being upwai-ds of thirty) he addressed to Congress 
during the time of his attendance. Congress, however, thought proper, 
on the 6th of August, 1779, simply "to discharge him from any further 
attendance," without expressing any opinion whatsoever in favor of, or 
against, the correctness of his conduct as a public servant; but informed 
him, verbally, that a person would be appointed to settle his accounts in 
Europe. 

Your memorialists beg to be understood as not wishing to say one word 
with respect to the relative merits of Mr. Deane and his accusers, nar 
with respect to the conduct or motives of those who interfered between 
him and his Government: they do not refer to them, by name; they allude 
to the fact of his having opponents, and of their interference between him 
and Congress, because it created suspicion in the minds of his employers 
against him; and was, in the end, the cause of ruin to Mr. Deane, in 
person, in fortune, and in reputation ; and which, ultimately, hastened bis 
death. They have nothing to do with the controversy ; to revive it, by 
defending the one, or condemning the other, might prove injuiious to the 
interests of your memorialists, whilst it could operate no possible benefit 
2 



10 

to tlie dead. Let it therefore continue to sleep with the aslies of the 
actors themselves, who Iiave, all of them, long since descended to the 
tomb. 

Congress having, in no way, given Mr. Deane any official notice, or 
even intimation, of the difficulties which seemed to lie in the way of a 
perfect understanding between him and Congress, he alleges that, in 
private conversation with members, he was told that the only difficulty 
arose from the non -settlement of his accounts. Your memorialists have 
already adverted to that subject, and have demonstrated, as they humbly 
conceive, that it was out of his ])ow'er to have effected the settlements ; 
and, at the same time, to have obeyed the orders of Congress, "to embrace 
the Jirst oppprtunity to return to Ameiica.'* Your memorialists have 
also shown that Mr. Deane had no reason to suppose he was recalled for 
the purpose of accounting for moneys, because the terms of the recall 
itself, expressly identified the object for which his attendance on Con- 
gress was required, viz: "to inform Congi*ess of the state of affairs in 
Europe" — not money affairs, as is evident from the language of the order, 
for in that case, different and more definite terms would certainly have 
been used — hut political affairs in general, was, and is, the only fair con- 
struction w hich can be put upon the language of the recall. Mr. Deane 
determined to return to France as early as opportunity would pei-mit, for 
the purpose of settling his accounts. 

On the 6th of August, 1779, the day Mr. Deane was discharged from 
further attendance on Congress, a resolution was passed by that body for 
the appointment ot a suitable person to examine, in Europe, the accounts 
of the commissioners, commercial agents, and others entrusted with pub- 
lic money, and to certify his opinion thereon, previous to their being trans- 
mitted to Congress ; and, on the 29th of September following, Joshua 
Johnson, of Maryland, was appointed. 

The superiority of the British at sea, and the difficulty of procuring 
a safe conveyance, interposed to prevent the arrival of Mr. Deane in 
France, until the month of July, 1780, when he immediately applied to 
Mr. Johnson to enter upon the settlement of his accounts. Mr. Johnson, 
upon discovering that his powers were so exceedingly limited, declined 
to act under them. 

Mr. Deane immediately addressed Congress upon the subject, and ear- 
nestly solicited that Mr. Johnson, or some other person, might be fully 
empowered to make a final settlement of his accounts ; and, fortlnvith, 
set himself to put, not only his own accounts, but those of his late col- 
leagues, and of every other person with whom he had transacted any 
business on public account, in a train for being audited and finally settled 
and closed. 

In this business Mr. Deane was engaged more than twelve months at 
Paris, at a heavy expense for himself and a clerk, ( Mr. Jacob Sebor, 
now living in Middletown, in the State of Connecticut,) and w as in daily 
expectation that Congress would no longer delay the appointment of a 
person, with full and ample powers to close all the public accounts with 
which he had had any connection. 

From the 6th of August, 1779, the time of his discharge from further 
attendance on Congress, when he received the verbal assurance that Mr. 
Johnson would be directed to settle his accounts, to the 15th of May, 



11 

1781, (nearly two years) lie received no coinmnjiications from Congress 
in answer to the various attempts he had made to bring about the settle- 
ments. On this last mentioned day, he again wrote to Congress upon 
the subject; and on the journals of that body of the 12th September, 
1781, is found tiie following proceedings : 

"■The committee, consisting of Mr. Clymer. Mr. Lovell, and Mr. 
Sherman, to whom was referred a letter from S. Deane, of the 15tli of 
May last, report: That provision is made for the examination of Mr. 
Deane's accounts by the apj)ointment of a vice consul: whereupon, order- 
ed, that Mr. Deane be informed of that appointment." 

Mr. Deane received a notice of this resolution in November, 1781, and 
from July, 1780, to that time, (sixteen monthsj it was the only answer 
he received to his various and urgent applications for a settlement. On 
the 27th November, 1781, (see Mr. Deane's letter book) he wrote to Mr. 
Barclay, the vice consul, and asked his immediate attention to his ac- 
counts ; and proposed to postpone all other business, for the purjmse of 
attending to this. Mr. Barclay, in a personal interview with Mr. Deane, 
assured him that his instructions did not comprehend the accounts of Mr. 
Deane, as they (his instructions) only extended to the accounts of those 
who were indebted to Congress, and not to such as had claims against the 
public. In confirmation of this opinion, he exhibited his instructions to 
Mr. Deane, who, upon an examination of them, coincided in opinion with 
Mr. Barclay: an exti'act from these instructions accompany this memorial. 
[See Mr. Deane's letter to Mr. Barclay, dated 10th January, 1782.] As 
this letter shows clearly the perfect fairness of Mr. Deane, and how noble 
and generous were his offers and sentiments, it is humbly hoped it may 
not be overlooked. The following is a copy of that letter, extracted from 
Mr. Deane's original letter book: 

Ghent, 10th January, 1782. 

Sir: I this day received your favor of the 6th, in which you inform 
me that you have already written two letters to Congress, on the subject 
we discoursed of here. I am really obliged to you for your attention to 
wliat concerns me so nearly. You think that your instructions extend 
only to the accounts of those who are indebted to Congress. J confess 
that I tiiink the letter of your instructions extends no farther, but I can 
hardly think that Congress really meant to settle no accounts but those 
in which the balance was evidently in their favor. You proposed a plan 
w hen I had the pleasure of conversing with you here, which exactly meets 
and agrees with my ideas on the subject. That Congress should author- 
ize you or some other, if they please, to examine and settle my accounts, 
with power, in case of difficulty or uncertainty, to call in some person of 
known character and acquaintance with the subject that may occasion 
the difficulty or objection, to advise or decide. I hope that you have laid 
this proposal before them in your letters. I confess that I cannot con- 
ceive of any thing more fair and equal. In the mean time you ask of me 
*' the state of the transactions, for that as soon as you peruse the accounts, 
you will tell me whether you think yourself competent to the final adjust- 



12 

ment of them or not." I am confident that, as an accomptant, you must 
be competent to any thing that is the subject of accompting ; but you are 
not, by your instructions, authorized to settle mine, should tiiere be but 
one livre due to me, whilst, should there be the same sum due from me, 
you have full power to proceed to a settlement. For my part, I am wil- 
ling, and wish, (though my enemies may not believe me J to put the most 
favorable constructions on the resolves of Congress. The resolve inform- 
ing me that you had instructions to settle my accounts, was passed in 
September, when I doubt not but thej intended to have given you such 
instructions, but other affairs intervening, that it never was done. 1 
would send you duplicates of my accounts by this post, but the time will 
not permit of it, having already sent on to Congress all the duplicates 
already made of them ; but I have enclosed the state of the accounts, and 
will send you the particulars if a safe private conveyance offer, or at the 
expense of the postage of a small volume, if you judge it necessary. 
Suppose that Congress prestnned that I had public moneys in hand, and. 
therefore, that my account was included in your instructions, they could 
not presume that they were infallible, on a subject not yet examined ; and 
if, on a scrutiny, they should find themselves debtors, instead of being 
creditors, it is hardly to be supposed that they meant to make one law 
for their debtors, and another for their creditors ; to receive, but not to 
pay. I have never had the least objection to submit my accounts to the 
examination of any impartial man, or men acquainted with accounts ; 
and knowing you to be of this character, the receipts of the resolve of 
Congress gave me the most sensible pleasure. A sight of your instruc- 
tions, and my conversation with you on the subject, gave me equal pain. 
If by the former resolves of Congress, or new ones which may be re- 
ceived, you judge yourself empowered to examine and close this old and 
to me ruinous affair, I shall be happy ; and will w ait on you here, or in 
Holland, or in France, with pleasure. Mr. Brom field lodged here last 
evening. He left me a line, but going on early in the morning, I had not 
the pleasure of seeing him. I pray you to acknowledge the receipt of 
this, and to be assured that I am, with great sincerity. 

Sir, yours, &c. 

S. DEANE. 

P. S. The sketch sent you is taken in haste, and not perhaps so regular- 
ly stated as you wish for; but you will reflect that, to be more particular, 
I must send you the whole of the articles, which, I have observed, fill a 
small volume. I have only to say, that I have vouchers for the greatest 
and most essential part of my charges. As to commission, I cannot 
presume that Congress will go in contradiction to their express agree- 
ment, or that they will treat me different from their other agents, who 
were allowed the same. Further, the above purchases were all made 
before the arrival of my colleagues, Dr. Franklin and Mr. Lee: for the 
purchases made afterwards, though the business w as done entirely by me, 
I charged nothing. 

S. D. 

To Mr. Barclay, Jlmsterdam. 



13 

Laboring, as it is natural to suppose Mr. Deane had long been, under 
a deep sense of tlie injustice and ingratitude of his country; disappointed 
in every attempt which he had made to procure a settlement, and in every 
assurance which had been given him, that his accounts should be settled, 
and that he should receive the justice to which he was entitled, he wrote 
many letters to his friends in America, in some of which he gave his 
opinions freely on the state of affairs, and on the contest then going on, 
as well as upon the actions and motives of the different parties to the 
war, as well as those engaged in conducting it. Some of these letters 
were intercepted by the British, and were published in the Royal Gazette, 
in New York, The sentiments and speculations contained in these let- 
ters were exceptionable to some of those who were then in power in 
America: and being transmitted to France, they were equally so there; 
and, (as he has subsequently declared, and as from an inspection of his 
private and confidential letters, both before and afterwai'ds, tlie wiiole of 
which accompany this memorial, it is now humbly believed by your 
memorialists, will be admitted by all,) with the purest motives, and the 
most ardent love of his country, he found himself looked upon in a light 
little less than a traitor to America and to France. Thus circum- 
stanced, proscribed at home and abroad, and scorning to receive the 
protection of the enemies of his country, although he was chai'ged with 
having sold himself to Britain, he submitted to a long and tedious exile 
in Flanders, carrying into banishment nothing but poverty, and a con- 
scious feeling of the purify and rectitude of his conduct. Mr. Deane 
passed eighteen months in Ghent, living in a style wholly beneath his 
character and standing; confining himself to narrow and cheap lodgings, 
and most of the time living without even the indulgence of a servant, and 
getting his meals at a common eating house; seeing none that he could 
avoid, and corresponding only with a single person. See his letter to 
Robert Morris, dated October 10, 17 83. 

Whilst Mr. Deane remained in Flanders, he did not cease his exertions 
to close his affairs with the public. He transmitted his accounts to Con- 
gress, and humbly prayed their settlement, and the jjayment of the bal- 
ance due him. He also sent copies of them to Dr. Franklin and to Mr. 
Barclay, and earnestly claimed their aid in effecting the object of his^ 
desire. See his letters to Mr. Barclay, of lUth January, 1782, BtU 
February, 1782, 18th February, 1782, 6th March, 1782, 22d March, 
1782, 7th April, 1783, 30th June, 1783, 28th August, 1783, 7th Novem- 
ber, 1783; and to Dr. Franklin, of March 30, 1782, May 13, 1782; to 
John Jay, February 10, 1783, February 28, 1783; to Robert Morris, 1st 
B'ebruary, 1782, October 10, 1783; copies of which, extracted from his 
letter books, accompany this memorial. 

On the 28th May, 1782, Congress appeared disposed to provide a way 
of closing their accounts in Europe, and on that day directed the ap- 
pointment of a *' commissioner to liquidate and finally settle all the ac- 
counts of the servants of the United States, who have been entrust- 
ed with the expenditure of public money in Europe." This reso- 
lution was reconsidered on the 29th of July, 1782; and, on the 18th of 
November, 1782, Congress re-enacted the resolution, and appointed 
Mr. Barclay, who was then vice consul in France, to be the commis- 
sioner. It was not until this provision was made that Mr. Barclay felt 



14 

liimselF at liberty to act upon Mr. Deane's accounts; yet lie did not, 
even under this appointment, and the instructions which he received 
under it, feel himself authorized finally to close Mr. Deane's transactions: 
this is evidenced by the correspondence between the parties, which accom- 
panies this memorial; as also, by Mi'. Barclay's letters to the Superin- 
tendent of Finance, and his ap|)lication to Congress for special orders and 
instructions, in relation to these particular accounts, as may be seen by 
his letter, dated as far forward as the 8th June, 1784, hereinafter refer- 
red to. 

The accounts of Mr. Deane were referred by Congress, in 1783, to a 
committee, consisting of Mr. Arthur Lee, (the same gentleman who had 
been associated with Mr. Deane as ambassador in France, Mr. McHenry 
and Mr. Gerry. This committee it appears by letters accompanying their 
report, investigated to some extent the claims Mr. Deane, and the prin- 
cipal object they seemed to have in view was to discredit his charges. 
They appeared to be wholly ignorant of the existence of a contract 
whereby he was to have five per cent, for his purchases and shipments in 
France, and of his instructions to procure clothing, arms, accoutrements, 
and military stores for the armies of the United States. Having collect- 
ed all that could be collected against the claims of Mr. Deane, and satis- 
fied of the verity of the contract and instructions about w hich they made 
inquiries, the committee, on the 4th of November, 1783, made report to 
Congress, recommending that Mr. De^ne be allowed his expenses, from 
his departure from Philadelphia, in March, 1776, to 4th of June, 1778, and 
salary as commissioner, from the time he received his appointment, to the 
same day, (Mr. Deane claimed an allowance of salary and expense to 
August, 1780, when he arrived in France, from where he had been re- 
called by Congress.) The committee further recommend that he be al- 
lowed his commission of Jive per cent, for his purchases and shiijments, 
previous to the time at which he commenced to discharge his duties as a 
public ambassador, but not afterwards. A copy of this report, with all 
the documents, and the accounts which were before the committee, your 
memorialists have obtained from the Department of State, and which now 
accompany this memorial. 

Thus the right of Mr. Deane to this commission was fairly and fully 
admitted; yet, in the adjustment of his accounts, which was made in 
Europe, several years afterwards, by Mr. Barclay, and which your me- 
morialists will presently advert to, no allowance whatsoever was made 
for this commission on any portion of Mr. Deane's purchases and ship- 
ments to America. 

Whether this report of the committee, which was intended for the 
government of Mr. Barclay, ever reached that gentleman, your memo- 
rialists have not been able to ascertain; they incline to the opinion that it 
did not, as they are unable to discover in Mr. Barclay's correspondence 
with the Government, and in the correspondence between Mr. Barclay 
and Mr. Deane, any reference whatever to it. Indeed your memorialists 
believe that this report ever remained alike unknown to Mr. Barclay and 
to Mr. Deane. 

This opinion is borne out by the fact that, on the 8th of June, 1784, 
upwards of seven months after the report was made, Mr. Barclay trans- 



15 

niitted to the Superintendent of Finance (the Hon. Robert Morris) Mr.r 
Deane's accounts, witli liis remarks upon such charges as seemed to re- 
quire explanation, and asked for instructions as to their settlement. Mr. 
Morris, for the second time, brought Mr. Barclay's letter and the ac- 
counts of Mr. Deane before Congress, and informed that body that, " if 
any remarks were proper to be made upon them, or any instructions 
necessary to be given. Congress alone were competent to the framing of 
them." As Mr. Barclay's letter of the 8th of June, 1784, was written 
seven months after the report of the committee, of which Mr. Arthur 
Lee was chairman, had been made, and, as no mention whatever is made 
in that letter of the report of the committee, and Mr. Barclay asks for 
specific instructions, which were specifically given in the report, your 
memorialists are strengthened in their conclusions, that neither Mr. Bar- 
clay or Mr. Deane ever came to a knowledge of the existence of that 
report. 

Your memorialists have carefully and critically examined the journals 
of Congress to ascertain whether Congress ever took any special order 
upon the report of Mr. Lee's committee of the 4th of November, IfSS, 
disapproving the principles therein set down for the settlement of Mr. 
Deane's account, and find that no such order was ever taken. It is there- 
fore fairly to be presumed that Congress were satisfied with those princi- 
ples, and acquiesced in them. 

Mr. Deane received information from Mr. Barclay, in March, 1783, of 
his (Mr. Barclay's) appointment as " Commissioner to liquidate and 
finally to settle the accounts of the servants of the United States, who 
have been entrusted with the expenditure of public money in Europe." 
Mr. Deane immediately requested to be informed of the manner in which 
Mr. Barclay proposed to make the settlement, as he might be the better 
prepared to comply with Mr. Barclay's requisitions. See Mr. Deane's 
letter to Mr. Barclay, dated April 7th, 1783. 

Not hearing from Mr. Barclay as early as he expected, Mr. Deane, on 
the 30th June 1783, again addressed him on the subject; and earnestly 
requested to be informed as to his instructions, with respect to his ac- 
counts, particularly ; and whether those instructions authorized him to 
make 2l final settlement, and to pay the balance which might be found due. 
In this letter, also, Mr. Deane very properly observes, that, as his ac- 
counts were before Congress when his (Mr. Barclay's) instructions were 
given, it was probable that, if Congress had any objections to the charges, 
notice would have been taken of such chai'ges. See Mr. Deane's letter 
to Mr. Barclay, dated 30th of June, 1783. Your memorialists will here beg 
leave humbly to remark, that as Congress had before them all the ac- 
counts of Mr. Deane when they gave their instructions to Mr. Barclay to 
settle them, if any objections had existed to any of the charges therein 
contained, it is fair to infer that they would have been the subject of a 
special notice in the instructions given to Mr. Barclay. 

On the 8th of July, 1783, Mr. Barclay informed Mr. Deane, he had no 
particular instructions relative to the settlement of his accounts. On the 
28th of August, 1783, Mr. Deane transmitted his accciunts to Mr. Barclay, 
with a long letter explanatory of the several charges. See letter to Mr. 
Barclay, dated 28th of August, 1783. 

On the 16th of September, 1783, Mr. Barclay informed Mr. Deane of 



16 

the course he intended to pursue, with respect to liis accounts, which was, 
♦'that such items as wanted some regularity or clearing up, must be re- 
ferred to the immediate decision of Congress." Mr. Deane immediately, 
thatis, on the 7th of November, 1783, as soon as he received Mr. Barclay's 
letter, transmitted to liim voucliers to sustain his cliarges, and gave long 
and clear explanations of tiie errors in the charges of the United States 
against him, and of hi^ cliarges against the United States. 

To this letter your memorialists beg leave to call the attention of your 
honorable bodies, being liighly important to a correct understanding of 
many items on botli sides of the account. See it, dated London, Nov. 7, 
1783. 

It ought here to be recollected that Mr. Deane was in Europe, and the 
agent appointed to settle his accounts was also in Europe ; that he had, 
by letters, for years, been endeavoring to get Congress to pass upon his 
accounts ; and, after years of patient endurance, a Commissioner was 
appointed to settle the accounts. What then must have been Mr. Deane's 
surprize at being told that all charges which the Commissioner chose to 
consider as ''wanting regularity or clearing up," must be referred back 
to America, for the decision of Congress? To refer these accounts back 
to America, to be passed u])on by Congress, after what had taken place, 
would have been, under the circumstances of the case, a total denial of 
justice to Mr. Deane, or, what was tantamount to it, an indefinite post- 
ponement of their final adjustment. 

This, Mr. Deane, at the time of writing this letter to Mr. Barclay, 
(Nov. 7, 1783,) foresaw: and, before and afterwards, endeavored to pre- 
vent, by repeated offers to arbitrate every doubtful case, and to leave the 
public to name the arbitrators, provided they might be honest and intelli- 
gent men, and have some knowledge of the common usage of trade and 
business, so far as regarded the disputed charges. This fact w ill be seen 
on reference to the various letters of Mr. Deane to Mr. Barclay, particu- 
lai'ly that of the 7th Nov. 1783; and Mr. Barclay's letter to Mr. Robert 
Morris, dated Paris, 8th of June, 1784. 

If it should be inquired why Mr. Deane remained in London, and did 
not go to Paris where Mr. Barclay was, and personally superintend the 
settlement of his accounts, it can be answered that the Government of the 
United States, having, after his private letters to his private friends, had 
been intercepted and published, notified the French Government of the 
fact, and the French Minister having taken up a violent personal preju- 
dice against Mr. Deane, from some remarks contained in these letters, 
personal to himself, Mr. Deane ascertained from his correspondent, Doct. 
Bancroft of Paris, that his person would not be safe in Paris. He en- 
deavored, through Doct. Franklin and Mr. Barclay, at various times, to 
obtain a passport and a written assurance of safety, which the French 
Minister ahvays declined to grant, but made verbal assurances that he 
would not cause him to be troubled. These assurances Mr. Deane was 
too well versed in the arts of the police of France at that day to trust 
to ; and could not, consequently, venture to Paris personally to super- 
intend the settlement of his accounts. 

After the receipt of Mr. Deane's letter of the 7th November, 1783, Mr. 
Barclay, as appears by his letter of the 8th of July 1784, to Mr. Morris, 
proceeded to adjust the accounts in his own way; and having stated his 



17 

views witli respect to them in general, lie transmitted them to the Super- 
intendent of Finance with a view to obtaining further information and 
instructions. The Superintendent of Finance, Robert Morris, Esq. on 
the 30th September, 1784, communicated the accounts, with Mr. Bar- 
clay's letter, to the President of Congress, witli a remark that, ''if any 
further instructions were necessary, Congress alone ivcre competent to the 
framing of them.^' See Mr. Morris's letter to the President of Congress 
dated " Office of Finance, 30th September, 1 7 84." 

Your memorialists have diligently examined all the Journals of Con- 
gress, and they do not find that Congress took any order upon the appli- 
cation of the Superintendent of Finance of tlie 30th September, 1784, or 
that Congress ever thereafter passed in any way, upon the accounts of 
Mr. Deane. 

Having been nearly six years earnestly beseeching a settlement of his 
accounts ; having been disappointed in every way in his endeavors to 
effect it ; having been, duiing almost the whole of this time, suffering 
all the ills of poverty; his affairs prostrate, and his credit as a man 
and a merchant ruined, while the Government of his country, a country 
that he had honestly and faithfully served, was deeply indebted to him ; 
being at length driven to resort to his fi'iends, in a manner that his high 
and proud spirit would have once disdained, to obtain the means of living 
from day to day ; being in a foreign land among strangers, who, to say 
the least, were not his friends, and who looked upon liim with suspicion ; 
determined never to return to his own country till his reputation for honor 
and for honesty should be cleared of the cloud which obscured it — and 
this could not be done till his accounts were adjusted and the balance due 
him paid up — having been denounced in his native land and in his own 
country as its enemy, whilst he knew himself to be an innocent man, a 
faithful citizen, and an ardent patriot ; being looked upon through the 
representations of his own Government, in the country which had been the 
theatre of his greatest, most useful and most extensive actions, as a traitor, 
and not daring to set his foot in France, even for the purpose of attending 
to his private affairs ; the energies of the capacious mind of Mr. Deane 
seem to have given way, and from the year 1784, he seems to have given 
up all hopes or expectation of ever bringing his accounts with the United 
States, to a fair and honorable conclusion; and to have, in consequence, 
abandoned himself to despair, for your memorialists can find no trace 
whatsoever, either in his letters, or in the public offices, or the corre- 
spondence of Mr. Barclay, that Mr. Deane, after 1784, done any thing, 
or took any part whatsoever, in the settlement of his accounts ; which 
settlement was subsequently made by Mr. Barclay without the aid or 
presence of Mr. Deane. 

Indeed it is with pain and mortification that your memorialists are 
constrained to admit that they have learned, from private sources, that 
Mr. Deane's mind appeared to have sunk under the great accumulation 
of raisfortune which was brought upon him by the long delay of justice 
by bis country; and that he gave way to indulgences which unfitted him 
for business; and his eventful and checkered life v>^as closed by death in 
London in the month of August, 1789; having never returned to his 
family or friends in America, after he embarked upon his return to 
France in 1780, to settle his own accounts, and the accounts of the public 
3 



18 

contracted under liis {igenc3\ and liavhig been but once in America, from 
the period of his enibai-Ualion on public affairs in March, 1770. 

For a more detailed and particular account of his misibrtunes, the 
nretcliedness of liis liie, his blasted ])rospccts, and the exti'eme poverty 
in wliich ids misfortuues and his necessities compelled him to linger out 
the last years of his eventful life, your memorialists v.ill take the liberty 
lo refer your honorable bodies to an obituary notice of him, published in 
the London ne\vsj)apers, and extracted into the Amei-ican Mercury of the 
year 1789, (the year of his death j a transcript of which accompanies this 
memorial. 

in corroboration of what your memorialists have with such pain and 
mortification felt themselves constrained to say, with respect to the pover- 
ty and distresses of Mr. Deane, while in London, awaiting the settlement 
of bis accounts and the payment of the balance due him irom the United 
States, your memorialists feel themselves at liberty to refer to a corre- 
spondence between Mr. Jefferson, wiien Minister of the United States in 
France, and Mr. Jay, Secretary for Foreign Affairs. In a letter from 
Mr. Jefferson, dated Paris, August Sd, 1788, is the following passage: 

*' About tliree weeks ago a person called on me, and informed me that 
Silas Deane had taken him in for a sum of 120 guineas, and that being 
unable to obtain any other satisfaction, he had laid hands on his account 
book and letter book, and had brought them off to Paris, to offer them 
first to tiie United States, if they would repay him his money; and, if not, 
that he should return to London and offer them to the British Minister. 
I desired him to leave them with me four and twenty hours, that I might 
judge whether they were worth our notice: he did so: they were two 
volumes: one contained all his accounts with the United States, from his 
first coming to Europe, to January 10, 1781, Presuming that the Trea- 
sury Board was in possession of this account till his arrival in Philadel- 
phia, August, 1778, and that he had never given in the subsequent part, 
I had that subsequent part copied from the book, and now enclose it, as 
it may, on some occasion or other, perhaps, be useful in the Treasury Office. 
The other a olume contained all his correspondencies, from March 29th 
to August 23d, 1777. I had a list of the letters taken by their dates 
and addresses, which will enable you to form a general idea of the col- 
lections, on the perusal of many of them. I thought it desirable that 
they should not come to the hands of the British Minister, and from an 
expression dropped by the possessor of them, I believe he would have 
fallen 50 or 60 guineas. I did not think them important enough, how- 
ever, to justify my ])urchasing them without authority; though with 
authority I should have done it; indeed I would have given that sum to 
cut out a single sentence, which contained evidence of a fact not proper 
to be committed to the hands of enemies. I told him I would state this 
proposition to you and wait orders. 1 gave him back the books and he 
returned to London, without making any promise that he would await 
the event of the orders you might think proper to give." 

In reply to this letter, Mr. Jay answers, under date of November 25, 
1788, as follows: 

"The circumstance of Mr. Deane's letter book and account book be- 
ing offered to you for sale is a singular one. I wish you had purchased 



19 

them. On this subject I cannot, indeed, give yon any instructions or 
authority; hnt I will venture to advise yon in express terms to make tlie 
purchase. I have no doubt that Congress will be satisfied with it. To 
me it appears expedient, and the same opinion prevails among the nicm- 
bcrs of Congress who have read your letter." 

On the 12th of March, 1789, Mr. Jefferson wrote to Mr. Jay on the 
subject, in which he says: 

" On the receipt of your letter, advising me to purchase the two 
volumes of Deane's letters and accounts, I wrote to the ])ei-son who had 
them, and after some offers and refusals, he let me have them for 25 
louis, uistead of 120 louis, asked at first. He told me that Bcanc had 
still six or eight volumes more, and that when he should return to 
London, he would try to get them, in order to make himself wliole, foi- 
the money he had lent Deane. As I knew he would endeavor to make 
«s pay dear for them; and it appeared to be your o])inion, and that of the 
members yon had consulted, that it was an object worthy attention, J 
wrote immediately to a friend in Londois to endeavor to purchase them 
from Deane himself, whose distresses and crnjmlons habits will probably 
render him more easy to deal witii. I authorized him to go as far as 
fifty guineas. I have as yet no answer from him." 

This correspondence estahlishes, beyond controversy, the fact of Mi 
Deane's poverty and distress. It ought to be borne in mind, that this 
attempt to get from Mr. Deane the remainder of his corresj)ondence and 
accounts, which were to him, so far as regarded his character for honor 
and integrity, of estimable value, took place only four months before 
death relieved him from his " distresses," and put a final termination to 
his *' crapulous habits." 

It appears by Mr. Jefferson's letter of the 12th March, 1789, that he be- 
came possessed of a volume of Mr. Deane's letters, containing his corre- 
spondence from March 29th to August 23d, 1777, and his hook of accounts 
with the United States, from his first going to Europe, to January 10. 
1781. These volumes would be to your memorialists of exceeding value, 
more especially the book of accounts, as they have no doubt that that 
book coiitained, as Mr. Jefferson said it did, ^' all his accounts with the 
United States," including vouchers for, and explanations of, its items. 
But your memorialists are pained to be under the necessity of saying, 
that they have been answered at the Department of State, that that De- 
partment has not, at this time, those books in its possession; nor has any 
of the persons now employed in that Department any knowledge whatso- 
ever of said books; nor can your memorialists gain any information re- 
specting them from the Department of the Treasury. This is exceedingly 
to be regretted, as they have no doubt that those books would greatly 
facilitate the adjustment, which it is the object of this memorial to seek, 
and they pray your honorable bodies that, if it be within your power to 
cause them to be forthcoming, that measures be forthwith taken for that 
purpose. 

Having thus explained the initure of Mr. Deane's claims against the 
Government, and given a circumstantial account of his unceasing and 
most earnest exertions to procure their liquidation and settlement, and 



20 

having candidly and faithfully shown that he was never able to eftect it. 
when he was in a situation to have done it, fairly and satisfactorily; 
having shown, from his letters to Mr. Barclay and others, that he offered 
to submit every item to the arbitrament of disinterested persons, of com- 
petent knowledge, to be selected by the agents of the public; all of which 
offers were unheeded and disregarded; having shown by his letters that 
he gave long and copious exj)lanations of such charges as seemed to re- 
quire explanation; and furtlier, that he clearly and forcibly explained the 
erroneous cnti-ies of money that stood charged against him; and, finally, 
that he abandoned all liopc of ever effecting a settlement; and, from 
trouble, distress, and despair, whereby the energies of his capacious 
mind, and his bodily powers, became so impaired and affected, that he 
was unable at length to do any thing in person towards a settlement. 
Your memorialists have to state, that Mr. Barclay, " commissioner for 
settling accounts of the servants of the United States, who had been en- 
trusted w ith the public money in Europe," proceeded, of himself, in the 
years 1786 and 1787, to make an ex parte settlement of Mr. Deane's ac- 
counts, after his own manner, and, in many instances, paying no respect 
to the explanations of Mr. Deanc, and his vested rights, under his con- 
tract of the 19th February, 1776, with the Committee of Secrecy; and his 
ajjpointmeiit and instructions of tiie 3d March, 1776, from the Committee 
of Secret Correspondence. 

That settlement was concluded by Mr. Barclay, in Paris, and bears 
date on the 20th July, 1787. It now becomes the duty of your memorial- 
ists to examine that settlement, (a certified copy whereof, from the office 
of the Register of the United Stiites Treasury, accompanies this memo- 
rial,) and to point out its errors and defects. 

Livres. Sols. Dens. Livres. Sols. Den«. 

That settlement closes with a balance 
which it admits to be due to Mr. Deane of 6, 117 05 10 

Under date March SOtli, 1778, Mr. 
Deane is charged with a payment made 
by Mr. Grand, the banker, said to be for 
account of General Hill Taylor, - 1,200 GO 00 

And Mancenu, see page 2 of the account, 432 00 00 



1,632 00 00 



It was found by Mr. Barclay that these 
sums w ere not properly chargeable to Mr. 
Deane, and on page 3 of the account, he 
is credited with the amount, - - 1,632 00 00 



The account is then balanced, and a new- 
account is opened ; and on the 6th page 
the same items are again charged and 
under the same date, - _ . 1,632 00 00 

On the 7th page, the charge for Man- 
ceau is again credited, - - 432 00 00 



Leaving the 1,200 livres standing 
charged, - - . - 1,200 00 00 



21 



The account is then again balanced 
and a new one opened ; and on page S, 
the charge for Manceau is repeated for the 
Sd time, and is not afterwards credited, 432 00 OO 



Livrc3. Sold. Ueii». Livrcs. t^uls. Dens. 



Making 1,632 livres to be added to the 
balance due Mr. Deane, - - 1,632 00 OO 

On page 6, is a charge paid Brousie, 
for wine, . . - . 294 00 00 

On page 7, Mr. Deane is credited with 
this, which was charged to- expenses of 
Ministers, - - - - 294 00 00 



The account is then balanced ; and on 
page 8, the same charge is again repeat- 
ed, and is no where credited. It is there- 
fore to be added to Mr. Deane's balance, 294 oo 00 

On page 8, Mr. Deane is cliarged, 
*'paid him out of tlie money which he 
and Dr. Franklin took up jointly," - 1,473 00 00 



On page 19, this charge is credited and 
the account is balanced ; and then on 
page 18, the charge is repeated, and is no 
where afterwards credited. It is there- 
fore to be added to Mr. Deane's balance, J, 473 00 00 

On page 8, Mr. Deane is charged for 
d balance, being his proportion of money 
Franklin, Deane and Lee took up jointly, 2,103 18 00 

On page 19, this charge, being found 
erroneous, is credited, and the account is 
balanced; after which, on page 18, the 
charge is repeated, and is no where after- 
wards credited. It is therefore to be ad- 
ded to Mr. Deane's balance, - - 2,103 18 00 

On page 6, Mr. Deane is charged with 
two errors, amounting together, to the 
small sum of three livres; and a little 
further down, on same page, the charge 
is repeated. He must have credit for one 
of the charges, - - . . 3 00 00 

Mr. Deane entered into contracts with 
the Baron de Kalb, and with the Viscount 
de Mauray, to enter into the service of 
the United States. 

By the terms of these contracts, he was 
to advance to those officers 16,800 livres 
each. He paid them 8,800 livres each, in 
cash, and gave each of them a bill on 
Messrs. Delaps for 8,800 livres. In the 



22 



Livrcs. Sola:' Dciia. Livres. Sols. Dcus. 



settlement made by Mv. Bai-clay, Mr. 
Deane, at page 15, is credited with the 
8. 800 livres cash payment. TJie Messrs. 
Dclaps are credited with the bills, (see 
their account) and the bills are actually 
charged to Mi'. Deane at page 8, as thougli 
they had been on private account. As 
these bills were on i)ublic account, they 
must of course be deducted from the 
charges against him, and their amount 
must pass to his cmH/. - - - 16,000 00 00 

The original contracts with the Baron 
de Kalb and the Viscount de Mauray, arc 
presented with this memorial, to which 
reference is respectfully i-equested, as 
showing the f:ict that these bills were 
given in fulfilment of those contracts. 

In the account of the United States 
against Messrs. Delaps, as stated and 
settled by Mr. Barclay, at page 4, under 
date October 24th, 1776, they are charged 
as follows: 

<< For neat proceeds of 196 barrels and 
79 half barrels of rice, and 34 tierces 
and 1 qr. cask of indigo, received by her 
(the Dolphin, Capt. AVm. Moore,) from 
Ckarleston ; consigned to them (Messrs. 
Delaps,)"by John Dorsius, of Charleston, 
South Carolina. The proceeds to be /ieW 
at the disposal of Silas Deane, at Paris," 83,272 16 00 

On the same "page, Messrs. Delaps arc 
also charged with the nett proceeds of a 
parcel of logwood, received per the Mary, 
Capt. J. Morgan, - - - 2,44106 09 

Making . - - - 85,714 02 09 

Messrs. Delaps are credited by Mr. 
Barclay, by Mr. Deane's bills in favor 
of Girardot & Co. and by commissions 
and accounts due to Girardot & Co. by 
Mr. Deane, to a very large amount; and 
the several items of it are charged to Mr. 
Deane, under the same dates that they are 
credited to Delaps. 

Upon the settlement of accounts with 
Messrs. Delaps, it was found they were 
much in advance to the United States, 
upon which advance they charged, and 
were allowed by Mr. Barclay, interest to 
the amount of - - - - 42,125 09 02 



23 



To tliis credit of interest t® Messrs. Delaps, is appended 
by Mr. Barclay, the i^oWowm^ sin gular and extraordinary 
explanation, viz: 

"It appears by Delaps' general account of interest, 
that the balance of interest due them, chiefly accrues 
from the sums cbarged to Mr. Deane. But it is to be 
observed that if Mr. Beane is or shall be credited for any 
of these sums charged to him from Delaps' account, that 
the interest also must be considered. 

'^ The proceeds of the rice, indigo, and logwood, an- 
swer for ahout the advances Delaps made on account of 
the United States. But in case those proceeds amount to 
2,441 6 9, and 83,272 16, making together 85,714 2 9, 
do not belong to the United States, Mr. Deane must have 
credit for interest on the whole advances Delaps made on 
account of the United States, being above debited, for all 
the interest Delaps charge." 

This same sum of 42,125 9 2 for interest is then 
brought to tiie debit of Mr. Deane, and is expressly 
stated to arise on payments to Girardot & Co. on his 
account. To this charge against Mr. Deane is also ap- 
pended a note in the s?me words as that appended to 
the credit to Delaps, and which is quoted word for 
word above. 

It thus appears, by Mr. Barclay's own admissions, 
clearly and distinctly made and expressed, that, at the 
time he charged Delaps with the proceeds of the i-ice, in- 
digo and logwood, as the property of the United States, 
he doubted whether it was the property of the United 
States, and says, distinctly, that if it should afterwards 
appear that it was not the property of the United States. 
Mr. Deane must have credit for the interest allowed De- 
laps on advances to Mr. Deane. It is therefore clear, 
that Mr. Barclay admits, that, if these proceeds did 
not belong to the United States, they did belong to Mr. 
Deane ; else why, if they could, by possibility, be the 
property of any other person, credit Mr. Deane with the 
interest on payments made to him. This is also clear 
from the expressions he uses — "tiiat if Mr. Deane sliall 
be credited with any of the sums then charged against 
him for payments to Girardot,jthat the interest must come 
off." These payments, it is admitted, w eie made in pay-, 
ment of the proceeds of this very rice, indigo and log^. 
wood. 

But, if this matter was doubtful to Mr. Barclay, when 
he settled Delaps' account, which was not until 1785, (as 
the credit to Delaps and the charge to Deane is made on 
an account rendered by Delaps on the 7th of March of 
that year,) it is no longer so. It is expressly stated, in 



Livrrt. Sols. Dens. 



24 



Dclaps' account, that tln^ rice and indigo were consigned 
to them by JoJin Dor.mis, of Charleston, with orders to 
hold the proceeds subject to the order of Silas Deane. 

It will appear, by sundry original letters from Robert 
Morris, who, in the year 1776, (the date of these trans- 
actions,) was the most eminent merchant in the United 
States, whicii letters are wholly in tlie proper hand wri- 
ting of Mr. Morris, and accompany this memorial, that 
Mr. Morris and Mr. Deane were deeply concerned, as 
partners, in trade ; and that Mr. John Dorsius was their 
agent in Cliarleston, and Dclaps in Bordeaux. It will 
also appear, by Mr. Moi'ris's letter bearing date Phila- 
delphia, August llth, 1776, in which he advises Mr. 
Deane to make large shipments of goods on their ac- 
count, and that he would remit in rice ainl indigo, 
&;c.; but more jjarticularly so in the letter dated Phila- 
delphia, September 12th, 1776, wlierein he says, a cargo 
of rice and indigo was then shipping on their account, as 
he had given orders to that effect. 

Your memorialists beg leave to call the attention of 
your honorable bodies to the dates of these transactions, 
for the purpose of showing how exactly they correspond 
witli each other. Mr. Morris, in his letter of the 12th 
September, 1776, to Silas Deane, says, a cargo of rice and 
indigo was then shipping, that was, on the 12th Septem- 
ber, the proceeds of which is for his, Mr. Deane's, ac- 
count. On the 24th of October following, that is, 43 
days thereafter, Messrs. Delaps receive and sell a cargo 
of rice and indigo, with orders from Mr. John Dorsius, 
the agent of Mr. Morris in Charleston, to pay the pro- 
ceeds to Silas Deane. Forty-three days is about a fair 
allowance for the voyage and the sale of the cargo ; and 
forty-three days after Mr. Morris advised Mr. Deane of 
the shl^jment, the cargo is received, and the proceeds are 
subject to Mr. Deane's orders. 

Mr. Deane, it appears, drew for these proceeds, and, 
by the accounts of Delaps, it would seem, generally, in 
the name of Girardot & Co. ; and when Mr. Barclay 
came to Europe to settle the public accounts, he transfer- 
red, at hazard, as appears from his own remarks, the 
proceeds of this rice and indigo ioi\\& credit of the United 
States, and charged Mr. Deane with the whole amount 
taken up by him on account of said proceeds. 

He not only did that, but he did more : he charged 
Mr. Deane with the interest on the amount paid to him 
by his consignees, on account of these very proceeds, 
which were unquestionably his own property. 

As it is clear, then, that these proceeds were the pri- 
vate property of Mr. Morris and Mr. Deane, and as Mr. 
Barclay charged Mr. Deane with them, or rather with 
the amount paid him on account of them, and thereby. 



J.ivcrs. Sol*. Dens 



25 



Livres. Soli. Den*. 



by that amount, reduced Mr. Dearie's claim against the 
United States ; the amount must therefore be restored 
to Mr. Deane's credit, viz: - - - - 85,714 02 09 

And then, according to Mr. Barclay's own showing, 
the interest which he charged to Mr. Deane, as having 
been allowed to Delaps, on account of the payment to 
Mr. Deane for these very proceeds, must also be credit- 
ed to Mr. Deane, viz: ----- 42,125 09 02 

In illustration of the fact, that Mr. Deane's private 
property in the rice and indigo mentioned above, were 
credited to the United States, and that he was charged 
with the money paid to him as the proceeds thereof, your 
memorialists will state, that this was not the only instance 
of the kind which occurred in the accounts between that 
gentleman and the United States. In the month of Jan- 
uary, 1777, [See Robt. Morris's original letter, dated 
January 31, 1777,] Mr. Robert Morris shipped to 
Messrs. Plaire & Penett of France, 86 hhds. of tobac- 
co, with directions to hold the proceeds subject to the or- 
der of Silas Deane & Thomas Morris. Thomas Morris 
turned the proceeds wholly over to Silas Deane. 

These proceeds were remitted by Messrs. Plaire & 
Penett, to Solieur, one of the bankers of the United 
States in Paris. They were taken up by Silas Deane, 
and, in making out the accounts in France, between Mr. 
Deane and the United States, while Mr. Deane was at- 
tending upon Congress in Philadelphia, in obedience to 
order, the proceeds of this very 86 hhds. of tobacco, 
amounting to 48,252 4 livres, vvere actually charged to 
him, as so much advanced him by the United States. Up- 
on his return to France, Mr. Deane discovered the error, 
and explained it ; it remained charged ; he remonstrated 
against it repeatedly, and sent copies to Mr. Barclay of 
all the papers relating to the transaction — [See his letter 
to Mr. Barclay, dated Nov. 7, 1783]; yet tliis charge 
was permitted to remain against him until the account 
was finally settled in July, 1787, when he was credited 
with it ; which fact of correction was never known by 
Mr. Deane. He died in ignorance of it. The transac- 
tion relative to the rice and indigo is similar, except, 
that, in the latter case, he is actually charged with in- 
terest on the money paid him by his own consignee, for 
his own property. Mr. Deane also died ignorant of the 
fact that he Avas charged with the proceeds of his own 
rice and indigo. Having no idea that Mr. Barclay 
would or could claim these proceeds ; they are never re- 
ferred to in his correspondence or explanations. 

Under date of July 3, 1778, page 2, Mr. Deane is 

charged with 3,600 livres for six months' house rent due 

on that day, and paid by Mr. Grand the banker. Mr. 

Deane and Doct. Franklin occupied the same house ; 

4 



26 



l.ivm. Sola. Deu* 



and, accoi'ding to the usage of that day, and the resolu- 
'tion of 28tl) September, 1776, [See Secret Journals, vol. 
2, p. 53,] all the expenses of the commissioners were to 
he paid by the Government, independent of a fixed com- 
pensation. 

Doct. Franklin and Mr. Deane might have occupied 
separate houses, and the Government musthavepaid the 
vetit of both, each of which might have equalled, and, 
indeed, exceeded, that occupied by them jointly. Their 
joint occupancy of the same house was, therefore, a clear 
" saving to the Government of the rent of a house. Now 
Mr. Deane left Paris on the 1st April, 1 778, three months 
before this rent was due or paid, under orders to return to 
America to give Congress an account of the state of af- 
fairs in Europe ; and, when he left Paris, he left Dr. 
Franklin in the occupancy of the house, and, as the Gov- 
ernment was bound to find Doct. Franklin a house, no 
part of the rent for the last three months of the six 
charged, ought, under such circumstances, to be set down 
to the account of Mr. Deane. Tlie ciiarge, therefore, it 
is manifest, has been erroneously made for the three 
months after he left France, and your memorialists ask 
that it may be written off. . . . . i,800 00 00 

The next charge is livres 5,509 2 said to be ex- 
pended in the purchase of articles for the President of 
Congress, and is said to be admitted by Mr. Deane to 
have been so expended. Now it is a fact, as appears 
from the Journals of Congress, and the public accounts 
of that day, that the household, and almost all other ex- 
penditures of the President of Congress, were borne by 
the public. There is no account showing of what the 
articles consisted for which this charge is made, but there 
can be little doubt that they were articles designed foi* 
the household of the President, or such as would have 
been paid for by Congress. It is possible that, originally, 
Mr. Deane may have intended these articles as a pre- 
sent to the President, though the magnitude of the amount 
seems to forbid the idea : but even admitting that -such 
was originally the intention, the course which events sub- 
sequently took between Mr. Deane and the Government, 
the long and cruel delay of justice which he experienced, 
and which finally brought about his ruin and death: the 
extraordinary disposition which, in the ex parte settlement ■ 

that afterwards took place, to charge him with every 
thing which they did not know exactly how to charge to 
any other person, would seem to render it an act of 
justice to Mr. Deane for your memorialists now to claim 
this sum at the hands of the Government ; and for these 
same reasons, the honor of the Government itself, seems 
equally to require that the amount should pass to the 



27 



Livres. iJola>Oeii<. 



credit of Mr. Deane. Your meuionalists ask therefore 

for its allow ance. _ . . _ . 5,509 02 00 

In the account of Messrs. Delaps, under date May 20th, 
1777, they are credited with 225 livres for three cases of 
wine sent to the President of Congress, and the amount --^ 

is debited to Mr. Deane without further remark. For the 
reasons given in respect to the last charge, your memo- 
rialists ask that Mr. Deane may receive credit for this , / 
charge also - - - - - - £25 00 00 

In the account of Messrs. Delaps, tliey have received 
a credit for their draft furnished Mr. Deane in favor of 
Doct. Edward Bancroft, on Snell and Co. of London, 
for ISO sterling or livres 703 17 4. This money was 
transmitted to Doct. Bancroft by Mr. Deane, by order of 
the Committee of Secret Correspondence, as may be seen 
by their instructions, to enable Doct. Bancroft to come ' 
over to Paris to confer with, and assist Mr. Deane in the 
business of his mission ; yet this money is charged to 
Mr. Deane on page 6 of the account. It is evidently an 
error, and must be written off and credited to Mr. Deane 703 17 04 

On page 8 of the account, Mr. Deane is charged with 
a balance due on the joint account of Franklin and 
Deane, of 19,873 13. 

By the account itself of Franklin and Deane, a certified 
copy of which accompanies this memorial, it appears that 
they were charged with 54,336 14 ; and credited with 
various expenditures, among which was one of 19,139 13 
6, for house expenses, properly chargeable as such. 
This sum was divided, and one half thereof, that is 9,569 
16 9 urns again actually credited to the private account of 
Doct. Franklin, as is stated on the account, and may be 
seen on an examination, at the Treasury, of Doct. Frank- 
lin's accounts. It is not perceived upon what principle of 
accounting, Doct. Franklin had the benefit of a credit for 
the expenditure of money which had never been charged 
to him. But this is a matter nowise concerning your 
memorialists, and would have passed unobserved, had it 
not been connected with an error to the prejudice of Mr. 
Deane. After all the credits had been made on this 
joint account to which the parties were entitled, there re- 
mained, it would seem, 10,303 16 3 unaccounted for; this 
deficit is, forthwith, without explanation or reason, charged 
in wholCf to the private account of Mr. Deane, while no 
part of it is charged to the private account of Doct. 
Franklin, which account, on the contrary, is actually 
credited with that which had been before credited to the 
joint account. This is certainly a new method of book- 
keeping, and argues little for the knowledge of the ac- 
countant in that science or art. While Doct. Franklin 
has the benefit of a credit for one half of the 19, 139 13 6, 



28 



Livres. Sols. Deii». 



Mr. Deane has the benefit of a charge for the other half, 
(which was correct,) which being added to the whole of 
the deficit of the joint account, produces the above men- 
tioned sum of 19,873 13. 

As it respects this deficit of 10,303 16 3 in the joint 
account, there is no law, rule or usage, in settling or 
balancing partnership accounts, which authorises a -whole 
deficit to be debited to one of the parties, unJess for rea- 
sons which must be stated it is so done ; but it is to be ^ 
averaged, and each party to bear his relative portion ; 
under tbis rule, one half only of the balance should have 
been charged to Mr. Deane, be is therefore on this charge 
CM^i^ied to a credit for the other half, equal to - - 5,151 18 i 

which ought to have gone to the debit of Doct. Franklin, 
the other partner in the joint concern. 

On page 6 of the account, Mr. Deane is charged with 
46 2 postage paid by Delaps ; and for which Delaps 
had received credit from the United States, which is 
credited to Mr. Deane in a credit of 624 18, on page 
19 of the account : which credit of 624 18, is made up of 
the said 46 2 and 578 6, paid by Germany, Girardot and 
Co. But at page 8 of the account, Mr. Deane is again 
charged with 107 17, other postage paid by Delaps, and 
for which Delaps received a credit from the United 
States. This is a contingent charge, and as Mr. Deane 
has been charged with it, certainly ought to be deducted 
and credited to Mr. Deane - - . - 107 17 00 

Mr. Deane has, however, received no credit whatever 
for the various payments made by liimself, in person, on 
account of postage, during the time he was in France as 
a public agent ; the only credits he has received has been 
that which was paid by his correspondents and charged 
in their bills. During the period of his residence as a 
public functionary, he paid bills for postage, amounting 
altogether to 394 livres 5 sols, a particular account of 
which, exhibiting the date and amount of each payment, 
has been extracted from the general abstract of his ex^ 
penditures. The omission being discovered, and the 
amount ascertained, it will, of course, pass to his credit 394 05 00 

On page 6 of the account, Mr. Deane is charged with 
2,400 livres, paid by Mr. Grand on the 2 1st of December, 
1777, which Mr. Deane alleges was drawn to defray, 
and was actually used in defraying, the expenses of the 
commissioners jointly, wkile residing at Passy. Mr. 
Deane, in his detailed abstract of expenses, refers to this 
charge as an error: he frequently refers to it in the same 
way. It was, doubtless, an error, and its amount is now 
asked to be credited - - . _ - 2 400 00 00 

Mr. Deane, in obedience to the orders of Congress of 
the 8th of December, 1777, to return home, for the pur- 



29 



pose of informing Congress of the state of affairs in 
Europe, attended upon Congress fronni the 13th day of 
July, 1778^ (the day he arrived from France,) to the 6th 
of August, 1779. When a resolution was passed in the 
words following : 

*^ Resolved, thai the Hon. Silas Deane, late «)ne of the 
commissioners at the Court of Versailles, and political 
and commercial agent, he discharged from any further 
attendance on Congress." 

And on the same day, a i-esoliition was also passed as 
follows: "That the Board of Treasury be directed to 
report for Mr. Deane a reasonable allowance for his time 
and expenses from the explication of three months from 
the notice of his recall to the present time." 

On the 26th of August, 1779, the Board of Treasury 
reported that ten thousand dollars should be paid Mr. 
Deane for his time and expenses during his attendance on 
Congress, from June 4th, 1778, to August 6th, 1779, a 
period of one year, two months and two days. Congress 
amended the recommendation of the committee, by increas- 
ing the sum to 10,500 dollars.' 

Mr. Barclay, in his settlement of Mr. Deane's ac- 
count, chose to consider this sum as the depreciated cur- 
rency of that day, and allowed Mr. Deane but one- 
eighteenth part thereof, or 583 dollars 33 cents. See 
the credits in Mr. Barclay's settlement, page 13. Five 
hnndred and eighty-three dollars and thirty-three cents 
for fourteen months and two days' services and expenses 
of an ambassador to a.foreign court, attending in the ex- 
pensive city of Philadelphia, in time of war, in obedience 
to the special orders of Congress ! ! ! The idea is pre- 
posterous. From the very same report, and on the very 
same day that the order was passed, directing a reason- 
able allowance to be made for the time and expenses of 
Mr. Deane, the resolution was passed fixing the salary 
and providing for the expenses of all the ministers of the 
United States in Europe, including among them Mr. 
Deane himself, fwrthe time he had been a minister at the 
court of Versailles; that resolution is in the words fol- 
lowing: 

'' Resolved, That an allowance of 11,428 livres tour- 
nois per annum, be made to the several commissioners of 
the United States in Europe, for their services, besides 
their reasonable expenses, respectively." 

Mr. Barclay, with the same propriety that he consi- 
dered the allowance to Mr. Deane, for a special service, 



LtTre«. Soil. Dfnf. 



30 

Livres. Sole. Dens, 



as «Iej)reciate(l currenc.v, might have cofisidered the 
annual compensation in the same currency; the orders for 
each were in the same series of resolutions, and adopted 
at one and the same time; and there is nothing in either 
resolution which says that it shall or shall not he con- 
sidered specie or depreciated paper; the amount of one 
is set out in livres, the other in dollars; yet there was a 
fixed standard for transferring livres into dollars and 
dollars into livres. It is out of the question to suppose 
for a moment that Congress would he so far forgetful of 
its own dignity, and of the honor and dignity of the na- 
tion, as to order one of the national ambassadors to the 
highest court in Europe to attend upon them for upwards 
of fourteen months, and then to insult him by an offer of 
S583 as an indemnity for his time, including all the ex- 
penses of himself, secretary, and household. It is re- 
peated that the idea is preposterous, and cannot for a mo- 
ment be seriously entertained. For the year preceding, 
because it was spent in Europe, Mr. Barclay allowed 
Mr. Deane Sl2,000, but for the next 14 months, because 
they were spent in America, under the special orders of 
Congress, Mr. Barclay allowed Mr. Deane S583, al- 
though Congress had said he should be allowed gl 0,500. 
But, moreover. Congress, by sundry resolutions, pass- 
ed at various times, made good to its officers the depre- 
ciation on continental bills, and at the end of the war 
issued what was termed specie, or final settlement cer- 
tificates, for the difterence. Is Mr. Deane to be made an 
exception to this rule? Is he, alone, to be excluded 
from the benejits of the scale of depreciation ? It is a fact, 
that may be ascertained at the Treasury, that the scale of 
depreciation was applied to no other foreign functionary 
of the Government, for any charge, service, or duty, of 
what nature or kind soever, no matter where, when, or 
under what orders performed. In illustration of this 
position, which is of great importance in adjusting the 
claims of Mr. Deane, your memorialists are permitted to 
state, that Congress, on the 18th Nov. 1782, as appears 
from their Journals, made good to the Hon. Arthur Lee, 
who was an associate commissioner w ith Mr. Deane, in 
France, the depreciation on Loan Office Certificates, 
amounting to S9,950 .//^, which certificates had been paid 
to him for his diplomatic services abroad. For these 
certificates Mr. Lee received Bills of Exchange on Europe 
for /2238 17 9 sterling money, with interest, from 10th 
August, 1781, the day it is presumed when the certifi- 
cates were paid to him. Why then, it is again asked, is 
Mr. Deane, for services of the same character to be al- 
lowed but S583 for the 10,500 voted him by Congress ? 
According to the rate of fixed salary ( 11,428) as allowed 



31 



Livrn*. Suit. Oeiii 



by Congress, and the rate of expenses as fixed by Mr. Bar- 
clay, being 48,572livres per annum, making^for services 
and expenses 60,000 livres, or S 1 2,000 per annum. Mr. 
Deane's allowance for the 14 months and two days' attend- 
ance (the time fixed by Congress itself) would have amount- 
ed to Sl4,066 66 cents; but, as Congress fixed the sum at 
§10,500, your memorialists must be content to ask only 
that the order of Congress may be fairly and honorably 
executed. After deducting the jS583 and 33 cents, al- 
lowed by Mr. Barclay, from the gl 0,500 voted by Con- 
gress, there is left S9,916 67 due Mr. Dean e, equal to 49,582 17 

On page two of the account, Mr. Deane is charged 
with cash paid for sundries, for his account by Mr. 
Grand, livres 26,713 5 6. A certified copy of the items 
which for in this charge of livres 26,713 5 6 has been 
obtained by your memorialists, and accompanies this 
memorial; and among these items is a charge for the 
coachf purchased by Mr. Grand for Mr. Deane, amount- 
ing to 3,596 livres. When Mr. Deane left Paris to 
return to the United States, he returned the coach to Mr. 
Grand, for account of the United States; it was then 
valued at 2,000 livres, and Mr. Grand credited the 
United States with that sum, and Mr. Barclay gave Mr. 
Deane a corresponding credit. See page three of the 
account. 

On page four of the account, the credit for the 2,000 
livres is withdrawn, by debiting Mr. Deane with that 
amount, on the ground that the cost of the coach had 
been charged to the United States: that was perfectly 
true; but then, it was equally true, that the United States 
had already charged it to Mr. Deane, at 3,596 livres, in 
the charge of 26,713 5 6, and when he returned to the 
United States he ought to have received its value at its 
return, viz. the 2,000 livres. If the charge had stopped 
there all would have been correct; but it is charged to 
Mr. Deane for the second time; the last charge is of 
course an error. Mr. Deane is, in any event, a loser of 
1,596 livres by its use: he ought certainly not to be call- 
ed upon to lose the first cost of the coach, viz. 3,596 , 
livres, and yet return it to the United States, for whicli 
they received a credit from their banker and agent of 
2,000 livres: yet such is the case as the account now 
stands. 

The United States have charged him 5,396 livres, and 
credited him with 2,000; while the United States paid 
but 3,596 livres, and have received 2,000 back again. 

The last charge is therefore to be deducted, and added 
to the credit of Mr. Deane, . - . - 2,000 00 00 

At page thirteen of the account, Mr. Deane is cre- 
dited with livres 4,083 10 6, for sundry articles pur- 
chased and left m ith Dr. Franklin; this credit consists 



32 



I.ivrr:;. SoU. Dens. 



of the following articles, wiiidi are contained in the 
items of Mr. Grand's account of 26,713 5 6, charged 
by Mr. Barclay to Mr, Deane, viz. plate, 1,880 12 3, 
linen, 1.127 17 9, china, 1,075 6. Yet there are, in 
the same account of charges against Mr. Deane, two 
other charges for household furniture, also left with Dr. 
Franklin, viz: a table, 33 livres, and another bill of 
linen, 243 5 6; these items, being left with the others, 
ought in like manner to pass to Mr. Deane's credit, - 273 5 6 

Besides the above, Mr. Deane, purchased at various 
times, after the arrival of Dr. Franklin, and while they 
resided in the same house, and used the furniture in 
common, various useful and necessary articles of house- 
hold furniture, a particular account of which has been 
extracted from the general abstract of his expenditures; 
when Mr. Deane left Paiis to return to the United 
States, he left the house, with all the effects, in charge of 
Dr. Franklin; considering all the effects he had pur- 
chased, and placed within it, as the property of the 
United States, having charged them to his expenses, 
which he was authorized to do by his instructions. The 
amount is, ...... 1^959 qb oo 

The amount paid for plate, linen, and china, and the 
small and various articles, comprised within the charge 
of livres 1,959 8, would, as may readily be supposed, 
go but little way towards furnishing a house in Paris, 
for the residence of two ambassadors, who had been 
directed by Congress to live in a style suitable to the 
honor of their country and the dignity of their station. 
(See Secret Journals of Congress, of September 28, 1776, 
vol. 2. p. 33;) they therefore hired a large portion of 
the articles necessary for their establishment. 

On page seven of the account, Mr. Deane is credited 
with the money paid for tlie hire of kitchen furniture. 
On the 1st of April, 1778, (the day he left Paris) Mr. 
Deane paid, as appears from his general abstract of ex- 
penditures, livres 1,555 14 for the hire of furniture. 
Whether the whole of this payment should go to Mr. 
Deane's credit or not, your memorialists respectfully 
submit to Congress to decide; but, as the charge was 
equally for the benefit of Dr. Franklin as for Mr. Deane, 
equity and justice, at least, requires that he should re- 
ceive a credit for one half of it, which is, - - 777 17 00 

In September and November, 1776, Mr. Deane sent his 
confidential servant on two expresses to London, and 
charged the expenses in his general abstract of expendi- 
tures, November 19th, 1776. The amount has nowhere 
been admitted to his credit. Tliat he should have re- 
ceived credit for it cannot be doubted, as Mr. Barclay 
gave credit for all payments for expresses which came to 
his knowledge. The amount is, ... 505 07 00 



33 



Livres. SuU. Dena. 



On the 29th January, 1778, Mi-. Deane reimbursed Mr. 
Chaumont a bill paid by him for expresses, nowhere 
credited to him by Mr. Barclay, amounting to - 480 00 00 

It often became necessary to despatch couriers and 
messengers on the business of the mission, to Versailles, 
where the Court and Ministers of France usually resided : 
a particular account of the expenses of which, as kept 
and paid by Mr. Deane, is extracted from the general 
abstract of his expenditures, and which, in the settlement, 
were not credited to him. The amount is - - 203 09 00 

In the summer of 1777, Mr. Deane was called twice 
from Paris to Havre and Rouen, on the business of the 
public. The expenses of these journeys he charges to the 
public, under date of July 9th, 1777. They were not 
credited to him by Mr. Barclay ; and amount to - 514 00 00 

In Mr. Barclay's settlement, page thirteen, he credits 
Mr. Deane with 589 5 6 paid for transportation of a 
monument to the memory of General Montgomery. All 
the accounts and papers go to show that the payment 
was 598 5 6 ; difference in favor of Mr. Deane, - . 9 00 00 

Whilst Mr. Carmichael was engaged in the public 
service in France, Mr. Deane advanced him and paid his 
bills to the amount of 9,200 livres, as per account of 
particulars, filed among the papers accompanying this 
memeriai. In the settlement of Mr. Barclay, he allowed 
only 7,347 livres, leaving out 1,863, for the non-allow- 
ance of which no reason whatsoever is assigned. As 
Mr. Deane advanced this money, evidently for the good 
of the public service, having no individual interest in it, 
or even contingent emolument whatever ; as Mr. Carmi- 
chael was, at the time, engaged in rendering important 
and faithful service to his country, and as these advances 
enabled him the better to do so ; as Mr. Carmichael, 
during the whole of his residence in Paris, resided in the 
house with Mr. Deane, without cost to himself or the 
public, but at the ijidividual expense of Mr. Deane, as 
did almost all other public characters or American citi- 
zens, whom chance, business, or the fortune of war, 
brought to Paris ; and as Mr. Deane never looked to, or 
held Mr. Carmichael in anywise responsible for the re- 
imbursement of this money, but always considered it as 
having been advanced for the public service, and not to 
Mr. Carmichael individually, and therefore never ap- 
plied to him for its return, your memorialists humbly 
hope that Mr. Deane may not be called upon to make 
good an advance thus made and applied for the public 
good : they therefore hope that this account may receive 
credit for the difference between the amount advanced 
and the amount allowed by Mr. Barclay, viz : - 1,863 00 00 

See Mr. Deane's letter to Mr, Carmichael, dated 
1784. 



34 



Lirrei. Sols. Daui. 



It has already been repeatedly observed that Dr.. 
Franklin and Mr. Deane occupied, jointly, a house in 
Paris ; tlie annual rent of that house was 7,200 livres : 
it commenced on the 1st of April, 1777, Doctor Franklin 
having arrived in December preceding. This house 
continued in the joint occupancy till 1st of April, 1778, 
when Mr. Deane set out upon his return to the United 
States, making one year ; the whole of w Inch was paid 
by, or charged to, Mr. Deane. On the second of April 
he charges, as paid by him, 1,764 livres, which was for 
the quarter ending at that time. 

In the charge on page two, against Mr. Deane of 
26,713 5 6 paid Mr. Grand, for sundries, for his ac- 
count, (a bill of particulars of which has been procured) 
is contained an item of 3,600 livres for house rent, paid 
on tlie 18th of October, for six months ending 1st of 
that month ; and Mr. Deane, in his abstract of expendi- 
tures, charges the payment of 7,200 livres, for a year's 
rent; included in which is the 3,600 paid and charged 
by Mr. Grand, and the 1,764 livres paid by himself on 
the second of April ; the other three months is charged 
by Mr. Barclay, at page two, in his charge of 3,600 
for six months due on 1st of July, 1778 ; (1,800 of which 
your memorialists have already asked to be deducted, 
for the reason that the joint occupancy ceased on the 1st 
of April 1778, when Mr. Deane returned to tlie United 
States) making for the year and three months, 8,864 
livres ; one half of which was for account of Doctor 
Franklin, and as Mr. Deane has paid the whole of that 
sura out of his private funds, or, if paid by others, out 
of public funds, it has been wholly charged to him ; it is 
evident that he ought to receive a credit for that portion 
which ought to have been payable by, or chargeable to. 
Doctor Franklin, viz : - - - - 4,432 00 00 

Your memorialists now proceed to charge the commis- 
sion to which Mr. Deane was entitled on his purchases, 
and transactions as commercial agent in France ; the 
accounts for which, in various forms, accompany this me 
mortal, viz : 

Purchases of J. H. Delaps - 79,587 17 4 

Commission thereon five per cent. 3,979 07 00 

Purchases of Mon. Le Ray Chaumont, 280,799 06 

Commission thereon, five per cent. 14,039 19 OO 

Purchasesof Mon. DeBeaumarchais, 3,736,957 IS 8 

Commission thereon, five per cent. 186,847 16 00 

Purchases &c. of Mon. Montieu, viz : 
Magazine at Nantz, - - 220,000 00 

Repairing of arms therein, - 6,416 00 

Charters of ships to carry stores pur- 
chased of Beaumarchais ; the charter- 



35 

Livre*. Sold. Dcni. 

party is contained in Diplomatic Corres- 
pondence, vol. 1, page 51 - - 432,633 00 

659,049 00 
Commission thereon, at five per cent. . S£, 952 09 00 



Amounting altogether in French livres, to 472,174 09 08 

equal, at five livres to the dollar, as then computed, to S94,434 90 



Wliich sum your memorialists claim to be due to Mr. Deane's repre- 
sentatives, with the interest thei-eon, from the year 1780, when the last 
service was rendered in settling up the public accounts in Europe. 

Your memorialists have thus set forth and stated what they verily be- 
lieve to be the actual, fair, just and bona fide claims of Silas Deane, 
against the Government of the United States, all of which are supported 
in such a manner, as, in the opinion of your memorialists, to be beyond 
dispute or question. 

But there was yet another expense borne by Mr. Deane alone, which, 
your memorialists put it to the honor, the generosity, and the sense of 
justice of the Government of their coimtry to decide, whether Mr. Deane 
was solely bound to bear. 

Your memorialists will state the case. As soon as Doct. Franklin ar- 
rived in France, he wrote to Mr. Deane from Nantz, under date of De- 
cember 7tb, 1776, (tlie original of which letter, with original let- 
ters of Doct. Franklin upon that and other subjects, accompany this me- 
morial,) requesting Mr. Deane to make such arrangements, as that they 
might, jointly, occupy the same house and live together. Mr. Deane 
made the necessary arrangements, accordingly, and, from the arrival of 
Doct. Franklin at Paris, in December, 1776, to the 1st of April, 1778, 
(the day Mr. Deane set out on his return to America,) they occupied the 
same house, and lived together in common. Doct. Franklin was accom- 
panied by his grandson, William Temple Franklin, Esq. who also form- 
ed a part of tbe family. Mi*. Carmichacl, during the whole time he was 
in Paris, and while engaged in the public business, also formed a part of 
the household. By Mr. Deane's instructions from the Committee of Se- 
cret Coriespondence, he was directed to send to London for Doctor Ed- 
ward Bancroft. That gentleman came over to Paris, and, as appears by 
all the correspondence of the commissioners, was usefully employed in 
the public service, during the whole time of Mr. Deane's service in 
France, and he, also, formed a part of the establishment of the house- 
hold of the Ambassadors. Independent of all these, Mr. Deane had, of 
necessity, to entertain, and did actually entertain, board and keep, al- 
most constantly, from the time he kept a house in Paris to the day of his 
departure for America, many public characters, such as messengers and 
bearers of despatches from Congress, captains and other officers of na- 
tional ships of war, as well as captains of letters of marque and reprisal 
and of merchant ships, who were, in obedience of orders, or in the regu- 
lar course wf war, or by tbe cbances of war, or by escape from the ene- 
my, brought to Paris. For all these, the house of the American Minis- 



36 

ters was the home: they were fed, lodged and provided for. During a 
portion of this time, the ministers, for good and sufficient reasons, changed 
their residence from Paris to Passy ; yet, for the accommodation and 
support of the Americans and the American cajjtains in Paris, Mr. 
Deane was compelled, as he states in his account, to keep up the establish- 
ment in Paris ; the expense of which he defrayed, and for which he has 
received no credit whatsoever. An account of these expenses, copied 
out from his general abstract of expenditures, shows that they amount to 
18,702 livres. 

In the settlement made by Mr. Barclay, he allowed Mr. Deane a sum, 
in gross, per annum, for his expenses ; but this allowance was not for the 
expense of Doct. Franklin and his grandson, Mr. Carmichael, Doct. 
. Bancroft, and all the Americans, couriers, national messengers, captains, 
and othervS, whose support and accommodation, Mr. Deane, under the pe- 
culiar circumstances of the times, was, in fact, compelled to provide and 
pay for ; and for which he has received no allowance whatsoever. Mr. 
Deane, in so far as regarded family, was entirely alone ; he had no part 
whatsoever of his domestic establishment with* him in Europe, nor did 
he keep a secretary, as may be ascertained from a perusal of his private 
and public correspondence for the period, almost all which is in his own 
proper hand writing. He, therefore, formed but one in the large house- 
hold, the whole expense of which he bore, and for which he has received 
no credit whatever. If it sliould be asked why Doct. Franklin did not 
contribute, it may be answered, that, from the commencement of their 
living together, it was the Doctor's wish that Mr. Deane, who was the 
younger and more active man, and, at that time, more versed in the mode 
and means of living in Paris, should assume the control and njanage- 
ment, and be the head of the household ; and as, by the terms of their 
appointment, their expenses were all to be paid by the public, and they 
were to receive a stated sum, in addition, for their compensation, [See Se- 
cret Journals, vol. 2, p. 33,] it was a matter of no account which of the 
Ministers advanced the money for these expenses, as they were to be re- 
imbursed upon a settlement. But when upon a settlement these expenses 
came to be lumped or averaged, and the same allowance made to each 
and every Minister, so far as regarded Mr. Deane, who had alone paid 
all the expenses, not only of himself and colleagues, but of a numerous 
household of public officers, and others engaged in public service, and 
received no credit for the board and maintenance of any of them, it 
made a very serious difference. By it he is alone made to pay the ex- 
penses of his colleague, Doct. Franklin, and of many others engaged in 
the public service. It was the intention of Mr. Barclay, as is evident 
from allowances he made Mr. Deane, as it regarded his advances of mo- 
ney, and for sundry other expenses, for all the persons, and description 
of persons, who have been mentioned or referred to, to have made Mr. 
Deane a fair and suitable allowance ; but, in his settlement, it is evident 
he overlooked these charges, and did not consequently take them into the 
account. 

From all these circumstances and considerations, your memorialists 
humbly hope that your honorable bodies will deem it fair and just that 
Mr. Deane should have been made a reasonable allowance on account of 
these expenses : what that reasonable allowance is, must be left to Con- 



37 

gress, or the public servants, to decide ; yet your memorialists will hum- 
bly express a hope, that, as Mr. Deaiie was wholly without family, and 
formed but one of the large number for whom these expenses were incur- 
red, and that, among the rest, was his colleague in the embassy, who was 
equally bound for these expenses, the one-lialf thereof will not be deemed 
an unreasonable allowance : if the half be granted, the amount of the 
allowance will be 9,351 livres, equal to - - ^1,870 20 

which, added to the amount herein before stated of - 94,434 90 



as bona fide and fairly due, will make a principal sum due 

to Mr. Deane of - . . . . §96,305 10 



Your memorialists have now gone through with their exposition of the 
errors, omissions and defects of Mr. Barclay's settlement of Mr. Deane*s 
account — (of tfee making of which settlement, there is every reason to 
believe Mr. Deane descended to an obscure and untimely grave in igno- 
rance.) This exposition, your memorialists are aware, is long, and they 
fear may be esteemed tedious ; but to set it out in their memorial, in the 
manner in which they have done, they believed to be the only way that 
was open to them, of making your honorable bodies fairly and fully ac- 
quainted with the merits and hardship of the case of their ancestor. It 
has been the object of your memorialists to make this exposition full, fair, 
candid and correct ; if it be not so, it is not because it was not their in- 
tention to make it so, but the fault must be attributed to the want of abil- 
ity, to the confusion of their materials, and to the great lapse of time 
which has taken place since the things tiiemselves were enacted. They 
invite, on the part of your honorable bodies, the closest, the strictest scru- 
tiny : all they ask for, and they think your honorable bodies will be 
prompt to grant it, is justice; such justice as man would be compelled, by 
the laws of every enlightened and civilized land, to render to his fellow 
man. They ask no more, and they expect no less. 

Whilst Mr. Deane was living in exile and obscurity in London, whith- 
er he had gone by permission, [See letter to Mr. Jay,] after the peace, 
some personal enemy caused to be published in the English newspapers, 
an article calculated, in its effects, most seriously to injure his ciiaracter, 
and to destroy all prospects which he might have of obtaining what he 
conceived to be his due from Congress. Knowing the utter falsity of the 
charge, he appealed to Dr. Franklin, [See letter 7th November, 1783,] 
who would, necessarily, know more upon the subject than any other per- 
son could know : that old, faithful and iMCorruptiblc patriot, put the slan- 
der down, by furnishing Mr. Deane with the following certificate : 

''Certain paragraphs having lately appeared in the English newspa- 
pers, importing that Silas Deane, Esq. formerly Agent and Commissioner 
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, had, sometime after his first 
arrival in France, jjurchased in that kingdom, for the use of his countrymen, 
30,000 muskets, 6cc. — that he gave three livres for each of them, being 
old condemned arms ; that he had them cleaned and vamped up, which cost 
near three livres more, and that for each of these he charged and received 
a Louisd'or, and that he also committed similar frauds in the purchase 
of other articles for the use of his country ; and Mr. Deane having re- 



3S 

presented, that the said paragraphs are likely to injure him in the opin- 
ions of many persons unacquainted with his conduct while in the public 
service ; I think it my duty, in compliance with his request, to certify 
and declare, that the paragraphs in question, acc(»rding to my best 
knowledge and belief, are entirely false, and that I have never known or 
suspected any cause to charge the said Silas Deane with any want of 
probity in any purchase or bargain whatever, made by him for the use or 
account of the United States. 

*• Given at Passy, the 18th of December, 1783. 

(Signed,) B. FRANKLIN, 
Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of America, at the 

court of France." 

This certificate, it must be remembered, was given upwards of two 
years after all ])ersonal intercourse between Mr. Deane and Doctor 
BYanklin had ceased, in consequence of the publication of the intercepted 
letters, and when the Doctor had full time and oppoitunity to iiave be- 
come acquainted with Mr. Deane's peculations, if he had been guilty of 
any. In further illustration of this subject, your memorialists refer to the 
correspondence with Mr. Baldwin, the London printer, the originals of 
which accompany this memorial. 

Mr. Deane was chosen a member of Congress in the spring of 1775, 
the commencement of the revolutionary war, and from that day, he so 
exclusively and assiduously devoted himself to the service of his country, 
as almost entirely to abandon his family, and wholly his private affairs, 
in Connecticut. Tracing him through his correspondence, and the busi- 
ness in which he was actively engaged in creating a navy, it is believed he 
visited his family but once or twice before he sailed for France : and from 
that period, (March, 1776,) to the day of his death, (Aug. 1789,) he was 
but once in Connecticut, and then for a few days only ; this was during 
the period of his attendance on Congress in 1778. His wife died during 
his public ministry in France. He had but one child, a son, Jesse Deane, 
who was yet a boy, and was sent to his father, in France, to be edu- 
cated. 

When misfortune and poverty overtook Mr. Deane, he was no longer 
able to keep his son at college in France, and Mr. Jesse Deane was com- 
pelled to return to America, leaving his father and only parent, sick, 
destitute, and distressed, to die in a foreign land, among strangers, with 
no friendly hand to smooth his pillow, minister to his wants, or close his 
eyes in death. He never afterwards had the happiness to behold his pa- 
rent's face, or to enjoy the blessings of a father's counsel. 

Jesse Deane lived and died in the city of Hartford, in Connecticut, and 
was the father of your memorialist, Philura Deane, now Philura Alden, 
who was his only child. He was of a feeble and delicate constitution and 
temperament ; and of weak and sickly habits of body ; and was during 
life, from these causes, unable himself to attend to the active concerns of 
life, or to seek that justice which he knew^ his country owed to the memory 
and for the services of his father. (See sundry depositions upon this 
point which accompany this memorial.) He constantly contemplated, and 
promised himself, to make the investigation and appeal, which your 
memorialists have now done ; but sickness, and the want of vouchers 



39 

and inuterial?* which his constitutional infirmities of body rendered him 
unable to look after, prevented him from carrying out his intentions. 
Mr. Jesse Deane died about five years ago, leaving your memorialists 
his only heirs and personal representatives : they have availed themselves 
of the first moment t!iey could, after collecting such accounts, letters, 
vouchers, &c. as, by diligent and unremitting search through private 
families and correspondents, and public oftices, have been found to be in 
existence, to make this appeal to the justice of their country. 

The Hon. Robert Morris, the great financier and patriot, whose genius 
and whose private credit and resources, were often the sole reliance of his 
countrymen, (and of whom it has been said in history, that his country 
was as much indebted for his exertions in the Cabinet and in the Trea- 
sury, as it was to the great Father of his Country in the Military,) in 
settling his accounts, and closing his official relations with the public 
treasury, made a long address to his countrymen, giving an account of 
his administration of their finances, and the state of the public accounts. 
In this exposition and address, Mr. Morris is pleased to notice the affairs 
of Mr. Deane ; and your memorialists cannot better close this appeal for 
justice to the Supreme Tribunal of the Nation, than by employing the 
language of that devoted patriot, as well as able, upright and intelligent 
statesman. Mr. Morris says : 

'' Of all our foreign debts, none remain, (those on particular loans^ 
bearing interest, and payable at a future peiiod, excepted) but the sum of 
eight hundred and forty- six thousand seven hundred and seventy livres, 
fourteen sols and five deniers, due to the Farmers General of France ; 
the sum of seventy-four thousand and eighty-seven dollars due, with 
interest, to Oliver Pollock, and the balances, which, on a final adjustment 
of accoujits, may appear to be due to Baron de Beaumarchais, Silas 
DeanCf and Messrs. De Neufville and Sons. At least none others now 
appear, and if any exist, they cannot be considerable. It is much to be 
lamented that these are not paid, The Farmers General have a claim 
not only to tlie justice, but to the gratitude of the United States ; for their 
conduct has been both generous and confidential. 

"The case of Oliver Pollock is attended with particular circum- 
stances of distress. On the affairs of M. De Beaumarchais, nothing 
indeed can be said, with precision, until they be liquidated ; but if any 
thing should appear to be due, the reputation of the country will be com- 
promised until it be discharged. And the same observation applies to the 
case of Messrs. De Neufville and Sons. »is to Mr. Deane, he stands in 
such peculiar circumstances, that it would be odious to say any thing in 
favor of his claims, if the citizens of America were governed by passion 
and caprice, instead of reason and reflection. But they know that what- 
ever may have been his services and sufferings, or whatever may be his 
follies and faults, neither can affect the present question. His claim of 
justice is not mended by his merits, nor curtailed by his crimes. Whether 
he is criminal or iimocent, must be decided on hereafter, by that unerring 
tribunal, from which there lies no appeal. But even admitting his guilt, 
it would be folly to justify it, by withholding his due. No treason either 
has operated, or can operate so great injury to America, as must follow 
from a loss of reputation. The payment of debts may, indeed, be ex- 



40 

pensive, but it is infinitely more expensive to witliljold the payment. The 
former is an expense of money, when money may be commanded to defray 
it; but the latter involves the destruction of that source from whence 
money can be derived, when all other sources fail. That source, abun- 
dant, nay almost inexhaustible, is public credit. The country in' which 
it may with greatest ease be established and preserved, is America." 

Your memorialists now commit themselves into the hands of your hon- 
orable bodies, the Representatives of the American people, and the guar- 
dians of their honour as well as of their treasury, and humbly pray that 
the justice to which Mr. Morris so forcibly and so eloquently declared 
Mr. Deane to^be entitled, and to which your^memorialists humbly believe 
they have demonstrated him to have been entitled, may without further 
delay be granted to your memorialists, his descendants and heirs at law. 
And, as in duty bound, they will ever pray. 

HORATIO ALDEN, 
Jor himself, and for his wife, 

PHILURA ALDEN, 
only daughter and only child of Jesse Deaue, the 
son and only child of ^'ilas Deane, deceased. 
10th January, 1835. 



.1 



